Synopsis
Samuel lives in Ponta Negra, a small fishing village on the coast of Paraty, Brazil. Following the boy and his family over the course of six years, the film gradually reveals a more complex reality and its inherent contradictions. The arrival of electricity and tourism crystallizes the dismantling of an idealized paradise, painting a nuanced portrait of contemporary Brazil.
A word from Tënk
"When electricity arrives, the first thing I'll buy is a washing machine."
By the river, the women dream as they wash their clothes. In this small village that looks like paradise, life is not always easy, and even the children are tired of eating fish every day. Samuel's mother eagerly awaits the arrival of electricity. His father, meanwhile, grows increasingly silent and anxious. Offshore, industrial trawlers are depleting the fish stocks, making fishing ever more difficult. Will opening a small shop on the beach provide a way forward? Soon the tourists begin to arrive, bringing promises of freedom for Samuel's older sisters—but also refrigerators, yogurt, and a new cost of living.
Over the course of several years, Vinícius Girnys crafts a deeply immersive film of light and shadow, capturing the profound transformations reshaping this family's life. A moving portrait of the relentless advance of progress as experienced by those living through it—and, perhaps, the end of a world.
Bruno Dequen
Editor in Chief, 24 Images
