Gilda Brasileiro - Against Oblivion
(Gilda Brasileiro - Gegen das Vergessen)
Brazil, Germany, Switzerland 2018 | 90 min | engl. subtitled
Sat, 01-Jun-19 10:00 AM
The small town of Toritama in the barren landscape of north-eastern Brazil has declared itself the “capital do jeans.” Millions of pairs of jeans are made there every year, most of them in small factories run by families who are proud of their independence, which is really self-exploitation. While searching for childhood memories of this place, the director cannot escape the ceaseless clatter of the sewing machines, which are silent only once a year, when everyone drives to the coast to celebrate carnival. The inhabitants once made a poor living from agriculture and selling their goods. Today, the industrial growth of the emerging nation of Brazil promises prosperity and wellbeing. However, this seems doubtful in light of the drudgery that manufacturing jeans requires. In the days before carnival, many fridges and televisions are taken to the pawnbroker’s, so their owners can pay for the amusement on the coast.
The film does not judge. Instead, Marcelo Gomes gives the people free rein in front of and with the camera. He shows the working conditions and life today and compares these with his memories. His essayistic approach creates many magical and real moments that reveal the price that is being paid for production in the name of progress.