Kids playing in the dunes, lovers practicing caresses, teenagers singing karaoke and above all, conversations, an endless stream of chatter. These snapshots of neighbourhood life in a lively coastal city in Mozambique are captured by the camera’s discreet yet curious gaze in this beguiling documentary. Although the filmmaker himself brands the project as somewhat anachronistic—originally conceived as an attempt to improve the country’s image, before 2024’s electoral fraud and its current state of upheaval—Balane 3 remains a faithful portrayal of its people and the hum of daily life in Inhambane. Shot on 16mm film, this sensual, jovial study captures a tapestry of vibrant local colours, gently unfolding to the same rhythm as the quotidian events it chronicles. A profoundly authentic take on what is often referred to—somewhat haughtily—as “taking the pulse” of society.