THE TSUGUA DIARIES (DIÁRIOS DE OTSOGA) World Cinema

When lockdown halted production, Lisbon-based filmmakers Miguel Gomes (TABU, ARABIAN NIGHTS) and Maureen Fazendeiro (BLACK SUN, MOTU MAEVA) incorporated their interrupted project organically into a playful meta-premise: friends Crista, Carloto and João are building a greenhouse for butterflies, cleaning out an above-ground pool and participating in spontaneous dance parties when there is a sudden global virus outbreak. Unfolding throughout the month of August and told in reverse chronological order, this series of sun-soaked vignettes revels in vibrant color, deliciously textured 16mm film grain and the delightful pop tunes of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And as the August breeze rustles the trees, this charming and enigmatic lockdown experiment sees time unbound and each day existing on its own terms with exuberance, whimsy and delight. –Malin Kan