Street life in Rio de Janeiro is astoundingly varied. There are more ways to earn a living than any North American can imagine. In this colorful film, Sergio Bloch, who has a special affinity for recording the pulse of urban life in his native Brazil, presents a variety of performers, vendors and special artisans.

The film begins with a knife grinder, who not only sharpens tools, but plays Happy Birthday on his grinding wheel to attract customers. There is an animal trainer whose dogs perform tricks, a street photographer who really wanted to be a student, a herbalist who forages within city limits for plants that bring the Amazon to a city square. Some of the physical stunts are amazing: a one-legged soccer acrobat, jugglers who have 50 seconds at traffic lights for their acts . These and many others tell how they came to earn their livelihood in these unique ways--some are the third generation in their trade, others fell on hard times and needed work.

These are not street people as we know them here--they are people who use public spaces as their studios, workshops, stages, offices and food centers. For anthropology and Latin American studies here is glimpse into the unique life of a sprawling metropolis with roots in the past.

"An enthralling, personal look at the public lives of street vendors, entertainers, and other colorful characters of daily life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These first-person testimonies often reveal a positive outlook in the face of adversity.Sound and picture quality are excellent. Highly recommended." Sean Patrick Knowlton, University at Colorado at Boulder for EMRO

IDFA/International Documentary Festival, Amsterdam, 2002
International Documentary Festival, Brazil, 2002
Bilan du Film Ethnographique, Paris, 2002