Field images/stories
A FATHERS DREAM
O nordestino e, antes de tudo, um forte – A northeastener is, first of all, a strong man.
“Que legal! I’m going to buy one of those!” He tells me pointing to a red dune buggy that speeds past us on the beach.
The 13 yr. old looks at his father, who say's nothing. Francisco would like to teach his son all he knows, if he'll listen.
The life of a Brazilian fisherman is a hard sell compared to a life of leisure modeled by lounging tourists with expensive 4x4's that inundate his tiny community every summer. Here along Brazil's northeast coast traditional cultures and the market economy are at odds.
“What can I do?” asked Francisco. “Yes, a fishermen's life is hard but it is a good life". Then looking towards the crowd of bikini clad tourists and kite surfers he asks, - How can he hear his heart?
The difference between Francisco’s childhood and his son's is stark. Back then, few outsiders ventured to his small beach. In fact, the absence of roads and electricity kept villages like his off the beaten path until very recently.
For now, despite the many changes, fishermen like Francisco still manage to maintain their way of life and preserve an important collection of primitive fishing vessels and knowledge that can be found nowhere else in the world. Thanks to them, one more cog in the wheel of human diversity is surviving - at least for this generation.
