Hadamo

Every year in Lazarim, one of Portugal’s oldest and most evocative carnivals comes to life. The entire community takes part—including many young people. The tradition begins with felling trees whose trunks will be used to carve the splendid wooden masks, while in the homes, the colorful fringe costumes are carefully sewn by hand. Meanwhile, the caretos—the masked characters of the carnival—wander the streets and fields of the village, dance through the woods, and pause before the old stone houses. Towering wind turbines spin in the mountain landscape, appearing almost as mysterious figures themselves, part of an ancestral rite. Through the memories of the elders and the documentation of the carnival’s preparation, including the rehearsals of dances and theatrical scenes, the film shows that this ancient tradition is still vibrantly alive, ready to be passed on to the generations to come.