Barbers

In 1970 Brazil’s barbers represented a full 53% of the public services workforce. By 2001 that number had dropped to 4%. Prior to that time, barbershops served the men of Brazil as more than just a means of sprucing up; they were also regular meeting places where conversation flowed easily. Skillfully compiled by a pair of Brazilian filmmakers, this cinematic portrait features several experienced barbers from São Paulo who initiate us into the mysteries of their traditional craft. Regrettably, the barbershop, its social dimension and even its very existence, are fading away. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)