In person: co-director Jeff Zimbalist and sound designer Michael Furjanic
The favelas of Brazil are brutal places — 600 slums with views and built into the steep mountains surrounding Rio's beaches. Jobs are rare; corrupt policemen routinely escalate the violence; and children, ensnared by warring drug cartels, die in epidemic numbers. Favela Rising tells a story of hope and change within one favela, where, after a police massacre, Anderson Sa resolves to find a way to end the violence and resurrect his town. Sa and his friends start a band, AfroReggae, and stand up to the gang leaders through their message of community and peace. Their success sparks the Afro-Brazilian movement, and soon music and dance classes give youth an outlet and foster community solidarity. Winner of the director's award at Tribeca, Favela Rising tells an inspiring story of change against all odds, one person and one song at a time. (ST)Preceded by Who Is John Cage? (dir. Jesse Atkins, hearingvoices.com, audio, 2 min.) in which the man on the street is asked.