About
In 2003, Peter Lucas found 200 small photographs at a flea market in Rio. Most of the pictures were of women on the beach in Ipanema in the early 1960s. There were also two shots that the photographer took in the mirror labeled self-portraits. With some clever research, we were able to indentify the late Orizon Caneiro Muniz as the photographer and many of the women in the pictures. And we also found the remaining archive of 5000 photos and negatives. Using the entire archive, there are several stories in the photos. The core of the film will be the relationship between the photographer and his circle of friends.
We will also explore the political nature of these images since they were taken on that nostalgic eve of the 1964 Brazilian dictatorship. It was also the last hour of the classic black and white snapshot before the widespread introduction of Kodacolor film in 1964. While these photos were being taken, Tom Jobim was writing his most famous songs a few blocks away and Bossa Nova would introduce Ipanema to the world. These photos also documented that threshold moment when Brazilian women begin to change in so many ways. Their style, their beauty, and the way they walked the beach would forever captivate the world's imagination.
To hear Peter Lucas talk about the Last Hour of Summer archive, see: http://www.vimeo.com/49576169