Bird Skin

Tuane is a Brazilian dancer living in the favelas of Rio. While her parakeets stay in their cage, she has been spreading her wings – as witnessed by all the fridge magnets from faraway lands. Dressed for her dazzling shows in sequins and feather headgear, she takes center stage at weddings, sporting events and of course during Carnaval. Wearing wings taller than herself and a phenomenal headdress, she is more peacock than person as she shakes her hips while perched on impossibly high heels. But inside the sparkly packaging, there's a determined woman lurking. Onstage, she presents a dream of perfection; backstage, we see her preparing, dressing and attending to her hair and then catching her breath after the show. Without comment, the camera follows Tuane as she dances through life. She laughs off the heat and her aching muscles with a beaming smile, the stirring samba rhythms penetrating the post-performance calm. The many unusual perspectives and close-ups give a unique impression of Brazilian Carnaval and dance culture, dismissing any preconceptions that slum dwellers live a life without hope. Tuane’s sense of pride simply leaps from the screen, in all its colorful, glossy glory.