Tchindas

synopsis

Within a small tropical Cape Verdean Island, the beloved Tchinda is hard at work preparing for a Carnival she hopes will capture the town’s imagination. Despite her great reputation, Tchinda remains humble. Every afternoon she happily tours the neighborhood to sell her best “coxinhas”, a classic Brazilian treat: delicious fried balls of chicken.

Filmmakers Marc Serena and Pablo García Pérez de Lara have crafted a lush, perceptive documentary that at times feels akin to a fairy tale. The film reveals a hidden landscape tucked far away from the world we know, where trans inclusion and teamwork make up the fundamental structure of a truly magical community and culture.

about the directors

Pablo García Pérez de Lara (Barcelona, 1970) has directed two full-length films: Fuente Álamo, the Caress of Time (2001), selected for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and Butterfly (2007), which was included in the official section of Karlovy Vary and San Sebastián International Film Festivals. His short film Alicia Portrayed (2002) was selected by the Semaine de la Critique du Festival de Cannes. He has been the Director of Photography of the acclaimed Familystrip (2009) by Luís Miñarro and The K Effect: Stalin’s Editor (2012) by Valentí Figueres, screened at 60 festivals. He teaches cinema at the Cinema en Curs program.

Marc Serena (Barcelona, 1983) recently directed the TV doc Freshwater Fish (in Saltwater) (2018), which was awarded by the Spanish TV Academy. More recently, The Writer From a Country Without Bookstores (2019) was awarded the DIG Awards for the best investigative journalism film in Europe. He has published three books and is currently freelancing for several global television channels.

Their award-winning feature documentary Tchindas (2015) was awarded 13 times in festivals such as Outfest Los Angeles (US), nominated at the African Oscars (AMAA Awards), and broadcasted on PBS (US).