''Tchindas'' is a 2015 Spanish-Cape Verdean

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

directed by Pablo García Pérez de Lara and

Marc Serena Marc Serena (born 1983), is a Spanish filmmaker, journalist and author. He is most notable as the director of critically acclaimed African documentaries such as ''Tchindas'', ''Peixos d'aigua dolça'' and ''The Writer from a Country Without Book ...

. The film premiered at the

Outfest Outfest is an LGBTQ-oriented nonprofit that produces two film festivals, operates a movie streaming platform, and runs educational services for filmmakers in Los Angeles. Outfest is one of the key partners, alongside the Frameline Film Festival ...

Los Angeles 2015 where it received a Grand Jury Award.

Plot

In the Atlantic Ocean, the tiny island of São Vicente works together to make something beautiful out of nothing: a Carnival. During the month leading up to the festivities we'll discover the struggles needed to achieve it through a person that coined a word: Tchinda. It is shot in the most gay-friendly African country, Cape Verde, according to

Afrobarometer The Afrobarometer is a pan-African, independent, non-partisan research network that measures public attitudes on economic, political, and social matters in Africa. Its secretariat headquarters are in Accra, Ghana, registered as a limited company ...

's 2016 report.

Cast

* Tchinda Andrade as herself * Elvis Tolentino as himself * Edinha Pitanga as herself

Recognition

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' praised the film, writing it was "a beautifully shot vérité chronicle of the all-consuming Carnival preparations on São Vicente". ''Tchindas'' picked up six awards in the five festivals which until now has been presented in competition: the

, the Chicago Reeling LGBT Film Festival, MiradasDoc, and

LesGaiCineMad LesGaiCineMad, Festival Internacional de Cine LGBT de Madrid ''(Madrid International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival)'' is an LGBT film festival held in Madrid, Spain, which is organised by the Fundación Triángulo and is usually held in November ...

. It has also been screened at

Seminci The Valladolid International Film Festival, popularly known as Seminci (short for ; ), is a film festival held annually in Valladolid, Spain. First held in 1956 as ('Valladolid Religious Film Week'), the Seminci is one of the longest-standing fi ...

and is in competition at the In-Edit and View

São Paulo International Film Festival The São Paulo International Film Festival ( pt, Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo), also known internationally as Mostra, is an annual film festival held in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A non-profit event, the festival is organized ...

. The African Artists’ Association praised the film for its story, background, and depth, writing that it showed "a vivid sense of place, community and personalities

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

comes through in the keenly observed film by Pablo Garcia Perez de Lara and Marc Serena, which reveals a seamless fusion of tradition and open-hearted acceptance." '' Chicago Reader'' praised the project and wrote of the film and its subject.

Reception

Of the film's screening at the REELING:Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, the ''

Windy City Times ''Windy City Times'' is an LGBT newspaper in Chicago that published its first issue on September 26, 1985. History ''Windy City Times'' was founded in 1985 by Jeff McCourt, Bob Bearden, Drew Badanish and Tracy Baim, who started Sentury Publicat ...

'' stated it was a "Documentary Centerpiece" and referred to it as "a glittery, oh-so-fabulous examination of a little-seen culture reminiscent of '' Paris Is Burning''".

Awards and nomination

* 2015, won

's Grand Jury Award for 'Excellence in Filmmaking'

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tchindas 2015 films Spanish independent films 2015 LGBT-related films Regal Entertainment films Catalan-language films 2010s Spanish-language films Spanish LGBT-related films Cape Verdean LGBT-related films Transgender-related documentary films Cape Verdean documentary films Spanish documentary films