Carnival is a celebration of the human spirit - an amazing spectacle that is a religion in Brazil
Meet BESSIE BADILLA, a 50-year old Asian mother living in the suburbs of Connecticut in the USA.
DANCE OF MY LIFE is a 77-minute documentary that bears witness to Bessie's poignant story, from her humble childhood in the Philippines, to a celebrated stint as a model for the House of Balenciaga in Paris, and her personal battle with Cancer - until she is invited to Sao Paulo to become Carnival Queen for three Escolas de Samba. There is never-before-seen footage as the escolas allow unprecedented access to their closely-guarded carnival preparations and introduce Bessie to the meaning of carnival.
DANCE OF MY LIFE is simultaneously funny and poignant, a mesmerizing conflation of Carnival's intoxicating life-force, and a woman's determined journey to own herself.
DANCE OF MY LIFE is a 77-minute documentary that bears witness to Bessie's poignant story, from her humble childhood in the Philippines, to a celebrated stint as a model for the House of Balenciaga in Paris, and her personal battle with Cancer - until she is invited to Sao Paulo to become Carnival Queen for three Escolas de Samba. There is never-before-seen footage as the escolas allow unprecedented access to their closely-guarded carnival preparations and introduce Bessie to the meaning of carnival.
DANCE OF MY LIFE is simultaneously funny and poignant, a mesmerizing conflation of Carnival's intoxicating life-force, and a woman's determined journey to own herself.