Future of Music Coalition
Learn About Brazil
Watch the Favela Rising trailer
One night in a favela, an impoverished barrio on the outskirts
of Rio de Janeiro, an infamous druglord shot and killed four policemen,
launching what the favela residents refer to as “The Massacre”: in
retaliation, the military police, known for their oppressive
corruption, made a sadistic surprise attack on the community and
slaughtered 21 of its innocent citizens. Short-listed for this year's
Academy Award for Best Documentary, Favela Rising focuses on
Anderson Sá, the brother of one of the victims. Instead of seeking
revenge by further entrenching himself in drug trafficking—often the
only mode of survival for those living in the favelas—he began to
wonder how to counteract this cycle of violence. In order to save the
youth in his barrio from the grim fate that would most likely await
them, Sá began Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, an organization that uses
music and dance to rally against the violence and crime that these
youth face every day. Then, suddenly, Sá was paralyzed in a freak
accident, and the true power of his movement was put to the test.
Through their vivid, disturbing and poetic filmmaking, first-time
feature directors Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary move beyond a
portrait of despair to chronicle the community's transcendental fight
for a better life, culminating in the inspiring ability to persevere
and even flourish in the most unspeakable of circumstances.—Tessa Swigart at http://fest06.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=29