The Vibrant Art Scene of Mozambique w/ Carlos Vargas

Listen to our podcast conversation with Carlos Vargas, director of Hidden Era from the 2024 Tribeca Festival.

TFV’s Matt Micucci speaks with Carlos Vargas, director of Hidden Era, which marks his feature directorial debut and was presented in the Viewpoints section of the 2024 Tribeca Festival in New York City, New York. Unfolding in the the vibrant city of Maputo, Mozambique, the film chronicles the artistic and personal evolution of Phambi, a painter working in the region, as he struggles with real-life challenges, including providing an education for his son, and awakens to new ways of thinking, including via the influence of two young feminist women who pose for his artworks.

Hidden Era offers is a thematically dense film and we speak about some of its main themes with Vargas, who also discusses his work’s natural blend of reality and fiction and the interesting way in which it was brought to life. We also discuss the film’s characteristic style and the vibrant art scene of Mozambique, which the film provides a rare cinematic glimpse into. Additionally, we talk about his journey and the statement he wanted to make with Hidden Era, his feature directorial debut after much experience in cinematography and production. (Photo: Carlos Vargas)

Showcast is a series of candid podcast conversations from film festivals and film markets, presented by The Film Verdict and hosted by Matt Micucci.