Carnival, a Netflix film, from the perspective of someone born in Salvador.

Carnival, This Brazilian comedy, available on Netflix, tells the story of a digital influencer who is betrayed by her boyfriend. But she wins a trip for her and her friends to enjoy Carnival in Salvador. And they discover much more than just the biggest street party in the world.

The cast consists of Giovana Cordeiro, Bruna Inocencio, Samya Pascotto, GKay, Flavia Pavanelli, Micael Borges, Nikolas Antunes, and the Bahian actors Rafael Medrado and Jean Pedro.

So, is the movie Carnaval any good? Read my thoughts, from the perspective of someone who was born, raised, and lives in Salvador.

What I thought of the movie (no spoilers)

The trailer gives the impression that it will be the kind of afternoon movie comedy, told entirely from the perspective of someone who doesn't live here, that is, the protagonists. Since filming took place during Carnival 2020, the intention..., according to the director, The initial intention was simply to create comedy, but the end result became a potential historical record of what Carnival was like, as there's a good chance it won't be the same after the pandemic.

The film surprised me because of my low expectations based on the trailer. After all, I was already prepared to tear apart yet another production stereotyping people who live in Salvador.

But there's a dedication to showing the capital as faithfully as possible. From real scenes of the characters in the middle of the crowd, passing through Barra and Pelourinho. While "my king" isn't used, "barrel" is spoken naturally by those who live here.

And the script takes an unexpected turn for a production that aims to deliver comedy. Besides creating some funny scenes, Carnival It addresses more serious issues, even if with little depth. After all, the film is only an hour and a half long.

Perhaps the film will appeal more to those who are at least somewhat familiar with the world of digital influencers, since the party takes a backseat to supporting this story. For passing the time and having some fun, I believe the film fulfills its purpose.

The time I went to Carnival and won R$ 600 in 5 minutes.

Since the film somewhat alleviates the longing for the festival, I'll take the opportunity to share a review of Carnival 2011, which I experienced precisely as a digital influencer. Even though at the time they simply used the term "blogger." I even briefly recounted it on... post from my other blog.

The structure of the VIP boxes was already similar to that shown in the film. And bloggers were routinely given VIP box passes. I went to two without any problems, but at this one, the production told me I would be entitled to two passes, one for myself and one for a woman. I called a friend.

But the production team warned that, due to "logistical problems" (meaning, probably some bigwig asked for and gave them my t-shirt) they no longer had the men's version, but they would try to get it, which didn't happen.

My friend felt awkward going to the most popular VIP area of the circuit alone and returned it to me. We were in Piedade, which was relatively close to Ondina, where the VIP area was located. She suggested selling the women's abadá (carnival shirt). I hesitated because I don't have sales skills, but I went ahead.

When I got there, I immediately spotted a group in a circle and a girl without a carnival shirt. I timidly said I had one and was selling it for R$ 500. I really had no idea how much I was selling it for, but I soon realized it was cheap. Because the guy's eyes widened, he told me not to leave and ran to get the money.

But the street vendor heard, pulled out a large wad of cash, gave me R$ 600, and snatched the carnival shirt from my hand. The guy was coming back, and I made a face apologizing.

Later I found out how much the abadá (carnival shirt) cost: R$ 900! The street vendor must have made at least double his investment. For me, in any case, it was profit, since I got the shirt for free and only spent money on the taxi.

Therefore, I recommend that after watching Carnaval, you also watch two other productions dedicated to Salvador on Netflix: Axé: Song of the People of a Place and the episode with Dona Suzana Latin American Street Food.

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