Street life in Rio de Janeiro is astoundingly varied. There are more ways to earn a living than any North American can imagine. In this colorful film, Sergio Bloch, who has a special affinity for recording the pulse of urban life in his native Brazil, presents a variety of performers, vendors and special artisans. The film begins with a knife grinder, who not only sharpens tools, but plays Happy Birthday on his grinding wheel to attract customers. There is an animal trainer whose dogs perform tricks, a street photographer who really wanted to be a student, a herbalist who forages within city limits for plants that bring the Amazon to a city square. Some of the physical stunts are amazing: a one-legged soccer acrobat, jugglers who have 50 seconds at traffic lights for their acts. These and many others tell how they came to earn their livelihood in these unique ways--some are the third generation in their trade, others fell on hard times and needed work. These are not street people as we know them here--they are people who use public spaces as their studios, workshops, stages, offices and food centers. For anthropology and Latin American studies here is glimpse into the unique life of a sprawling metropolis with roots in the past.