Sonhos de Peixe (Dreams of Fish) follows 17-year-old Jusce as he scrapes together a living by fishing stingrays and illegally diving for lobsters. He is besotted by the tall and long-legged Ana, and lives to be close to her, however indifferent she may seem.

Although Jusce’s village live on meagre means, the households habitually congregate in front of the television, obsessively satisfying their soap opera addiction. The glamour and glitz of the shows couldn’t seem further away from the sedate fishing town with its dirt road and lack of trappings, yet the villagers, particularly Ana, are transfixed by the melodrama.

When Jusce’s cocky and adventurous friend, Rogerio, returns from the big city to operate dune buggy rides along the coast, Jusce must vie for Ana’s attention. Ana starts to dream of experiencing different things and exploring the world, yet Jusce is content in his birthplace doing what his father did. His love pushes him further as the plot takes a perplexing turn. Jusce impulsively sells his house and heads into the city on a mission to buy the biggest television on offer for his Ana.

Russian-born director, Kirill Mikhanovsky, drew inspiration from his fascination with the lives of the fishermen of Baia Formosa, a small coastal village in Brazil’s north-east. It is a landscape and way of life that he has captured with charm. Aiding its authenticity and naturalism is the film’s casting of real-life fishermen and non-actor residents of Baia Formosa.

With accomplished cinematography, Sonhos de Peixe is a scenically and sonically beautiful film, perhaps more visually enticing than intellectually.