UnCarnival

Reaching the two-year milestone of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sapucaí carnival is postponed by the authorities in 2022, while the so-called street parades or ‘blocos’ are suspended indefinitely. Without a clear definition of what would be safe from a health point of view, musicians, street vendors and revelers come together spontaneously, covering with costumes and glitter the recently emptied streets which were still in mourning from the pandemic. In this context, three friends dress up as a film crew to go around the city shooting a Carnival that was not supposed to exist. With humour and irreverence, the newly formed audiovisual team dives into the clandestine ‘blocos’ to investigate the motivations that lead a whole crowd to pilgrimage behind procession-like parades after so long in social isolation.
Amidst the most diverse interviews that compose this short film, one question seems to stand out: ‘’What is freedom to you?’’. The responses may help to unveil the stubborn joy of those who make this party happen despite everything. And so this is how ‘O Não Carnaval’ (An Almost Carnival) is born: a meta-documentary produced by a group of revelers who lose themselves in character and decide to film one of the most controversial carnivals in the history of Rio de Janeiro.