By karenmmartin on situated
Favela Rising is a documentary film about the community group Afro Reggae who emerged out of the Vicaria Farel Favela in Rio de Janeiro. The story, told chronologically, describes how Anderson Sa began to look for a way to end drug gang violence in the favela after his brother was one of 21 victims in a police massacre. He joined up with Jose Junior and began Afro Reggae – writing and performing songs critical of the violence around them, and offering an alternative perspective to children in the favela. Through percussion and dance workshops initially, Afro Reggae spread their message and rallies the community to confront the unchallenged dominance of the drug lifestyle in the favelas.
It is Anderson’s personal experience and cultural understanding of the favelas that gives him the ability to make Afro Reggae successful and accepted – even by the drug gangs they are so critical of. He speaks as a member of the favela community and the favela population identifies with him. The joy of the whole community at a particular moment in Afro Reggae’s story expresses how strong this identification is.
Favela Rising is about place as an identity – with both positive and negative aspects. Early on in the film Anderson explains that people from the favelas cannot escape, that the address condemns them to a particular life. While I try to understand how a sense of place can bring people together, this film illustrates how place can also imprison people.
The film not only documented Afro Reggae but was also partly created by them. During the two years of filming the directors left mini-dv cameras with children and other members of the Afro Reggae group. Offering another route for self-expression and representation this resulted in some unique insights into life in the favelas. The directors talk more about the film process on the Favela Rising website http://www.favelarising.com/
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* Posted on: Fri, May 12 2006 2:40 PM
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