Manoel de Barros

Manual de Barros - Retrato do poeta quando coisa

The life and literature of Mato Grosso do Sul poet Manoel de Barros. Alternating sequences of interviews with the poet, verses from his poetry, and statements of connoisseurs of his literature, the film portrays a revealing panel of the author's language. Manoel de Barros, age 91, with some 20 books published, lives in Campo Grande. Acknowledged, the winner of several literary prizes, he is the Brazilian writer who accounts for the greatest sale in poetry in Brazil.

Nineteen people with differing degrees of visual impairment – from mild nearsightedness to total blindness – discuss how they see themselves, how they see others and how they perceive the world. Unusual images, of burning trees or empty deserts, link the interviews, which vary from deep to funny to poetic.