Pahokee

Synopsis

Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan paint a detailed and astonishing portrait of Pahokee, a rural village in the Everglades, Florida. Very close-knit, its inhabitants fight to face fragile financial situations and an uncertain future. Through a precise observational approach, the film captures the daily life of this city restoring a rich palette of nuances. From sporting events to beauty contests at school, filmmakers explore social and community rituals, and how gender and identity are portrayed as new stories are created. Pahokee is the powerful portrait of a forgotten America, absent from the current political discourse.

Director Biography

Ivete Lucas is a director, producer, and editor based in Austin, Texas. She was born in Brazil and grew up in Mexico. For the past 10 years, she has been making video art and co-directing observational documentaries with her partner Patrick Bresnan. Their latest short film SKIP DAY won the Short Film Prize at the Directors Fortnight at Cannes. THE RABBIT HUNT, their previous film, won over 20 festival prizes and the Cinema Eye Honor. PAHOKEE is her first feature-length film and will premiere at Sundance. Patrick Bresnan is a visual artist and filmmaker who holds a Masters Degree in Sustainability from the University of Texas at Austin. After a formative period working for prominent Mission School artists Barry McGee (aka Twist) and Clare Rojas, he co-directed the short documentary THE SEND OFF (2016) with his partner Ivete Lucas. His short, THE RABBIT HUNT, world-premiered at Sundance in 2017 before competing at the Berlinale, and has won over 20 awards including The Cinema Eye Honor. In 2017, he and Lucas directed the short Roadside Attraction which premiered at TIFF. He is currently developing a new film in the Florida panhandle.