The Spirit of Carnival
Narrated by ELIZABETH BELL
The twin Carnivals of Rio and Trinidad, two of the most spectacular and gloriously pagan festivals ever to be celebrated in modern times. The Portuguese took the ' entrudo', a ritual last fling before Lent, to Brazil. The French took Mardi Gras to Trinidad. The African slaves in both countries gave it the spirit to survive for over 300 years.
Today Carnival lives on - a magnificent spectacle of fantasy and illusion, an explosion of soul-stirring samba and steel drums, and a deeply moving pageant in which thousands of people escape into a dream world of their own making.
Film cameraman NIGEL MEAKIN Producer BOB SAUNDERS
Series editors MICHAEL ANDREWS and ANTHONY ISAACS Preview: page 13