Shot on sensuous 16mm in August and September 2020, this is a graceful and intelligent experiment that plays with our perception of time and understanding of cinematic storytelling. 

Opening on ‘Day 22’ in the midst of a party, we move backwards through the calendar until an unexpected presence appears on ‘Day 16’, asking us to reevaluate what we have just seen. 

With playful intent, Gomes and Fazendeiro have folded the constraints of working under lockdown into the structure of their film. In its appreciation of nature and the simple pleasures of life – observing the beauty of a decaying quince, or luxuriating in the sheer joy of community – The Tsugua Diaries moves beyond witty metafiction and blossoms into something filled with genuine warmth.