In the portuguese seaside gambling city of Espinho, a small fishing community plays its odds daily against the ocean. Their home is O Bairro, “The District”: a parallel world where the currency is still the escudo and an ancestral form of fishing called “Arte Xavega” is kept alive at dawn, when small wooden boats venture into the cold atlantic waters. “Carapau de Espinho” is a portrayal of a community resisting the rapid pace of modernization, fishmongers facing uncertainty while pushing their carts amongst tourists, and fishermen baring their hearts in karaoke joints.