ReelQ: Tchindas

Join for a screening of Tchindas, hosted by ReelQ. This film is presented in Cape Verdean Creole with English subtitles. 

(Runtime: 94 minutes)

Tchinda is one of most beloved women in Cape Verde, especially after she came out as a transgender person in the local newspaper in 1998. Since then, her name has become the term used by locals to name queer Cape Verdeans.

Despite her local fame, Tchinda remains humble and every afternoon she happily tours the neighborhood to sell her best “coxinhas,” a classic Brazilian treat of delicious fried balls of chicken. But every February, it all changes.

During the month leading up to their Carnival, the slow-paced atmosphere of the island transforms into a frenzied hustle and bustle as thousands flock to the streets. The days before the Carnival are hectic, and Tchinda is hard at work preparing for a Carnival she hopes will capture the town’s imagination.

This documentary is as trip to an unknown side of Africa that very few may have ever imagined.