VV is receiving its worldwide premiering at Edinburgh Fringe Festival Online 4th - 28th August, 2023.

This is Mimi Harmer's first release.

VV is all about ancestral factions in the village of Calamonaci (Sicily). Dictated by bloodline, the village is divided between those who support San Michele and San Giovanni Battista (Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint John the Baptist). 

As part of an annual festival for San Vincenzo, the village is decorated with the colours of the Saints and they are paraded through the streets for “la rigattiata”. The Calamonacesi are proud of their respective saint, and graffiti can be seen around the village using interlocking ‘Vs’, to represent “Viva (long live)”.

VV explores the invocations of these two saints through interplay between multiple moving parts - cello, foley, spoken word, and video. 

The reason for the divide is lost to history. VV San Giovanni, or VV San Michele - you decide. 

The text is recited in Sicilian by Maria-Teresa Carubia-Harmer:

Preghiera a San Giovanni

San Giuvanni decullatu,

Tri brizzi, tri 'mpisi e tri 'nnigati,

Tutti novi v'ati a uniri,

E tantu lu priggati e lu strinciti

Ch'a mia di sti peni mi livati.

Porta battiri,

Campana sunari,

Friscu friscari,

Cani baiari.

Tantu mi partu di vui Signuri,

Quandu sentu battituri.

Preghiera a San Michele Archeangelo

Padri nostru chi stati 'n celu;

siti un Ancilu, San Michele,

siti un Ancilu maggiuri

ca parrati cu lu Signuri.

D'ogni mali chi nni veni,

liberàtimi, San Michele.

Written by Mimi Harmer.

Cello performed by Mimi Harmer.

Spoken word by Maria-Teresa Carubia-Harmer.

Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Matt Fogg.

Video collated and edited by Matt Fogg and Mimi Harmer.