Lives of Iguaçu and the incredible stories of “Foz” residents

— Ferraris, we need to tell the story of a resident of Foz do Iguaçu.
— We need to, Palmares, but whose story do you want to tell?
— There is a lady who intrigues me. She is at the traffic light between Paraná and República Argentina avenues, near the shopping mall.
— Oh, I've seen her. A short lady, right?
— Yes, exactly. I've tried a few approaches, all in vain. I can't do it. And this time it needs to be on video, which is not our thing. It's up to you.
— Then let's go. I'm in.

The conversation between this writer and journalist Izabelle Ferrari may not have been exactly in these words, but that was the essence. Months ago, we started talking about H2FOZ recording an interview with Dona Olinda. She is one of the legions of elderly people who live at the intersections of Foz do Iguaçu trying to make a living.

Izabelle and Marcos Labanca, our photojournalist, cameraman and editor (he's a real man), started production at the end of last year. Alongside the entire recording, editing and finishing process, the idea of ​​doing something more came up.

— How about you do our Vidas do Iguaçu segment?, I asked Iza. She said we needed to bring different stories to the daily news. I gave as an example some profiles that I follow so as not to lose hope in humanity, such as Razões para Acreditar.

The initial answer was yes, however, it was necessary to bring representatives from both companies (H2FOZ and Izabelle Ferrari – Communications Consulting) to the table to resolve a small problem. A mere detail. A silly thing. With the professionals from both teams overloaded with services and without a budget, how could this project continue?

On one side, Izabelle Ferrari and her partner, the pedagogue Kathlen Ferrari; on the other, me and Labanca. After a few meetings, the partnership was sealed. One video per month is enough. We agreed to produce other videos to keep the material ready in the drawer. Since then, the series has become a priority alongside other work and commitments.

The first season of this new phase of Vidas do Iguaçu will be released on Monday, January 15th – with a total of four contents from January to April. The premiere of each production will always take place on YouTube, in a different way every month, sometimes on the channel H2FOZ, now on Izabelle Ferrari's channel. Subscribe to the channels to be notified of new content.

If I were you, I would close all the screens on my cell phone or computer. I would give “a minute of your attention” to learn the story of Olinda, a lady that many ignore, others almost run over, and few help in any way, whether by buying her a torrone or simply saying “good night”. A giant among us.