This has proven controversial and revolutionary. Long-time naturist Hans Muller (62, from Germany) told us: “I’ve been to naturist gatherings for 30 years. They are always packed with activities. Here, I sat on a rock talking to a fisherman for three hours. No phone. No clothes. No agenda. That is the real freedom.” Another landmark feature of this edition is the “Raiz e Flor” (Root and Flower) pavilion. For the first time, the festival has invited leaders from the Tupinambá indigenous tribe and a collective of transgender naturist activists to co-create the program.
“At first I panicked,” admits Sofia Alvarez, a first-time attendee from Buenos Aires. “But by day two, I felt a weight lift. Without the urge to photograph, I actually saw the sunset. I listened to the capuchin monkeys. I felt the sand. This is the ‘new’ I didn’t know I needed.” brazilnaturistfestivalpart6 new
As one participant whispered to me on the last night, watching the fireflies dance over the lagoon: “I came here to take my clothes off. I ended up taking off my entire life’s armor. That’s the new. And I’m never going back.” Eduardo Silva traveled to Santuario do Sol as a guest of the Brazil Naturist Festival. No camera equipment was allowed; all reporting was done via handwritten notes and voice memos recorded after his return to Florianópolis. This has proven controversial and revolutionary