Shortly after sunset, work begins for the men and women who collect the garbage. On Copacabana Beach, a whole armada is out sifting through the sand and preparing the beach for the next day. Because the metropolis of millions is so busy all day, Luiz da Silva and his colleagues also empty the city‘s garbage cans in the middle of the night.
Meanwhile, crocodile researcher Ricardo Freitas sails his small boat in a lagoon, in the west of the city. The wild side of Rio comes to the fore at night: thousands of caimans populate the city's waters.
Jacky Rocha also works at night. She is a samba singer and tours Rio's nightlife, going from gig to gig. Her rehearsals for carnival are already in full swing. But she can always make time for a concert in the trendy harbor district. Samba, she says, is more than just carnival and good-mood music - it is a weapon in the fight against racism.
Rio de Janeiro is also a city of extreme inequality. While some people are still dancing and partying, others are starting their working day. Nanny Gilmara dos Santos lives in one of Rio's poor and dangerous suburbs. To get to work on time for a rich family in the wealthy south of the city, she has to leave her home at night.
Then there’s the world of Candomblé: The Afro-Brazilian religion was banned for a long time and had to be practiced in secret. Even today, its practitioners must still contend with prejudice. During the hour-long night-time rituals, the gods, or ‘orixás’, are summoned with drums, singing and dancing, to take possession of the believers.
All the different people the filmmakers meet are united by a tireless optimism in the face of seemingly insurmountable social and economic hurdles. Rio de Janeiro at night shows viewers a city of hard work and big dreams. It’s a place that rewards its inhabitants, the Cariocas, with its beauty every morning, at sunrise.
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