Three times a year, the hill of Watt Town becomes a place of pilgrimage.

Members of Zion Revival churches from Jamaica gather there. Elders pass their knowledge on to younger generations through prayers, songs, rhythms, gestures and spiritual practices.

This transmission is at the heart of the film. The camera enters the ceremony without turning it into a spectacle. It observes faces and bodies, listens to drums and songs and allows time for those moments when music and spirituality become inseparable.

Little known outside Jamaica and sometimes regarded with condescension, Zion Revival nevertheless occupies an important place in the country’s cultural history.

It also provides another perspective on two Jamaican phenomena known throughout the world: Rastafari and Dancehall.

Jamaican anthropologist Barry Chevannes highlighted the profound influence of Revivalism on Rastafari. In the film, musician and producer Clevie Browne describes incorporating Revival rhythms into Dancehall music.

Watt Town: Holy Songs from Jamaica tells this story through those who live it.