Cordel de Trancoso

Tales of Trancoso

A historical paradise on the Bahia coast is transformed when hippies arrive in the 1970s. For 400 years, the village of Trancoso had protected its religious traditions and cultural habits, rooted in Jesuit foundations. With this sudden “discovery,” the once-isolated community began to attract travelers from around the world. The symbols and rituals of fishermen and farmers seemed destined to disappear. Yet something unexpected happened. The historic bubble burst, but the culture survived. Even while opening to the contemporary world, Trancoso preserved its centuries-old festivities blending Indigenous, African and Catholic-Portuguese origins. These celebrations and local stories form the narrative and poetic center of the film: resistance and coexistence shaping identity. The documentary invites us into the Feast of St. Sebastian, the heart of this transformation. “Cordel” becomes the key to unlock a hidden past — and to guard memories against the silent advance of modernity.