Waiting for the Carnival

Delighted to be her own boss, an inhabitant of Toritama expertly rolls the denim through the sewing machine in one of the converted garages, or facções, where entire independent family businesses produce jeans—from morning to night, seven days a week. And the more zippers you sew in, the more you earn.

The atmosphere of the village as it is now contrasts starkly with filmmaker Marcelo Gomes’s memories of this place. Back in his day, locals would while their days away in a rocking chair, but now he can’t find anyone who's not putting the last touches to a pair of hotpants or skinny jeans. The only time work stops is during Carnival, when almost the entire population leaves for the coast. Only then can Gomes capture on film the idyllic place that once so enchanted him.

But this is no overblown nostalgic portrait. Gomes shows the town as it is now, and appreciates the value of the small, newly-gained freedoms of its hardworking residents for what it is. This affectionate look at a rapidly changing Toritama sees this award-winning fiction director effortlessly adapting to the long documentary form.