Rio Gringa

New Rio: The Movie Trailer

Fox recently released a new trailer for Rio: The Movie, although apparently the US release date has been pushed back to April 15th. I recently came across this new trailer on iTunes, with some new scenes from the movie!

A quick shout out to Diario do Rio, where I later found this same trailer. (PS. It's an amazing blog about Rio de Janeiro, for Portuguese speakers) We seem to be on the same wavelength this week!

The Brilliance of José Padilha

While I was in Brazil, I finally had the chance to see the highly-anticipated film Tropa de Elite 2, and I agreed that it was not only fantastic, but possibly even better than the first movie. It was a unique time to see it, too, since it was during the week of violence and I saw it in the same area where a lot of the film takes place.

That the director, José Padilha, is brilliant, is not news. He started out doing documentaries, and one of his first full length films, Bus 174, caught my eye long before I was even moved to Brazil. Padilha's ability to assess a complex social conflict from various perspectives is part of what makes him such a powerful filmmaker.

Then he created Elite Squad, a controversial film that was a huge hit in Brazil, but not exactly in the box office: millions of people watched it on pirated DVDs before the movie even came out in theaters. While it was a success in terms of popularity, some argued that the film idolized BOPE, the Rio SWAT, and its violent methods. This movie focused on the war between the police and drug traffickers, as well as touching on corruption in the military police. Others enjoyed the movie's extreme violence, watching with glee as the protagonists gunned down criminals in the favelas. While it was certainly a provocative film, the next one went much further to explain Rio's problems with violence and was much more deliberate in identifying the good guys and the bad guys, and was less ambiguous in its conclusions.

 

Tropa de Elite 2 delves into the issue of Rio's milicias, the paramilitary groups made up of former police and current off duty officers who control some of Rio's favelas, after wresting control from the drug traffickers. It also demonstrates that it's not just the milicias who are behind the incredible corruption in Rio's security forces; local politicians have ties to, or are even part of these groups, and the movie hints that these political ties go even higher, to Brasilia.

But here's the caveat: at the beginning of the film, a message appears on the screen warning viewers that the movie is fictional, and that any resemblance with real people or events is pure coincidence. While Padilha's strong suit, in my opinion, is the documentary, he found a way to adapt this form in a way that is both profitable and reaches a much larger audience: taking real events and adapting them to a script, combining several real people into single characters, rearranging events, and changing names, but leaving the bare bones of reality there for everyone to see. And this brilliant method paid off: over 10 million people have seen the movie since its October release, and the movie broke records to become the most viewed Brazilian film in history, breaking the previous record of the 1976 film Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos, a movie based on a Jorge Amado novel. It had also raked in $59 million as of earlier this month. Pirated DVDs were much less of a problem this time around, and in talking to people, I learned that people who almost never go to the movies went to theaters to see Tropa 2, some because they felt a little guilty about what happened with the first film, and some because they were just anxious to see it.

Here's a little outline of one viewer's hypothesis on who the characters in the movie are based on:

The other thing that Padilha did with this film was touching on some of the most basic insecurities and fears that Brazilians have, even those outside of Rio: ineffectual and corrupt police, corrupt politicians, and crime. Though the movie was especially relevant to Cariocas, Brazilians from all over the country were able to relate with some of the movie's themes. A recent survey showed that nearly 77 million Brazilians, nearly half of the population, feel insecure in the city or town where they live (see some of the statistics here), since nearly 12 million people were victims of robbery in 2009. What's more, 38 percent felt insecure in their neighborhood, and 21 percent even felt insecure in their homes. The highest rates of insecurity weren't found in the Southeast, but in the North, Brazil's poorest region. According to the survey, only 48 percent of robbery victims reported the incident to police in 2009, the majority citing the reason that they simply didn't believe in the police. More about the study here:

 

The survey also showed that Brazilians had more luck solving problems by reporting them to PROCON, the Brazilian consumer protection agency, than going straight to the courts: 88.5 percent of those who reported a problem to PROCON had their issues resolved, whereas only 56 percent of those who went to the courts had their issues resolved.

In addition, Padilha blurred the line between fiction and reality by filming in favelas and what appeared to be real prisons in Rio. In fact, local residents were frightened at one point during filming, when they thought that there was an actual police operation and shootout taking place, rather than a film crew with actors. By filming throughout the city and incorporating real police officers as extras, sometimes it was hard to tell if the scenes were real or fake.

By combining all of these fears and insecurities, but making sure to have a gratifying ending that partially satisfies the viewer and partially piques their interest in Padilha's next film, about corruption in the federal government (he doesn't mention the new movie at all, but if you know it's what next you can see Padilha connecting the two movies at the end of Tropa 2).

While Padilha seems to hope to create more awareness about what's actually going on in Rio, and to inspire public outcry, it's not clear if the movie has had major reverberations yet. But there are signs that it had an impact. Padilha has become an outspoken critic of Brazil and Rio's security measures, going on TV and writing editorials to share his views. Also, there have been signs that the government is making a greater effort to combat the milicias. Last week, a police operation uncovered a milicia in Duque de Caxias, and thirty-four people were sought and 25 were arrested, including 2 city councilmen, 13 current military police officers, 4 former military policemen, a Civil Police commissioner, an Army sargent, a Navy sargent, and a former Marine. The remaining 9 are considered fugitives and are being sought by police. The group was discovered after police tapped their phones and found that they were negotiating weapons deals with drug traffickers in Complexo de Alemao, the site of the major military operation last month. The paramilitary group is suspected to have received around R$70,000 by selling weapons to the favela traffickers, and are wanted for extorsion, threats, torture, exploiting locals, installing illegal TV and internet connections, and murder. The question now is what will actually happen when and if all of the accused are tried in court.

Tropa de Elite 2 will have its US premiere at Sundance in January, though there's no official foreign release date. I'll be sure to let you all know when there are opportunities to see the film in the US or Europe, because for anyone interested in Brazil, this is the must-see movie of the year. (For now, you can watch clips and interviews on the film's Youtube channel.)

Rio: The Movie Posters

Even though the movie isn't coming out for another few months, I recently found a bunch of great movie posters for Rio: The Movie. Thanks to Diario do Rio for coming across and sharing the first image (I also found it here). It's definitely my favorite!

I Spy in Rio

While I was in Rio a few weeks ago, I tried to take in as much as I could despite time constraints. With more time, I might have spent days just wandering around the city with a notebook, but instead, I took every opportunity to note changes in the city since I'd left.

Local Business

Everywhere I went, there were Itaú banks everywhere. In some neighborhoods, it seemed like there was literally one on every corner, a la Starbucks back in its heyday. I'm guessing it's partially a result of the Itaú - Unibanco merger in late 2008, and that gradually all of the Unibanco branches were absorbed. But I also suspect it's related to the bank's success in a booming economy with a growing population of people looking for checking and savings services. I turned it into a game of sorts, so that whenever we passed an Itaú, I'd point at it and cry, Itaú! in mock surprise. When I got home, I bought some stock.

Cones are out (or at least, there seem to be fewer cone restaurants). Frozen yogurt is in. What started out as a single store in Ipanema has now blossomed into a chain with at least one other competitor, with stores throughout Zona Sul and in quite a few malls.

Speaking of malls, if you want to see Brazil's so-called economic miracle firsthand, I'd recommend taking a trip to Bangú Shopping, a beautiful mall in a lower middle class neighborhood in Zona Oeste. It opened a few years ago in an 120 year-old factory, and unlike many malls in nearby Barra, it has a quaint charm to it (at least on the outside), and is especially pretty now that it's decked out in Christmas lights. Not only are many of the stores the same ones you'll find in Zona Sul, it also has a fantastic movie theater and restaurants and cafes (including a Yogoberry). If you explore some of the areas nearby, you'll appreciate the fact that businesses are not only actively targeting different socioeconomic classes, but are in fact catering to them like they would in more affluent parts of the city.

Transportation

I was absolutely blown away by the reforms on the Metro, so much so that I even took pictures. They completely redid a few stations, outfitting them with gorgeous glass entrances, decorations, Metrocard machines, funky benches, and TV screens with information about the trains.

And then of course, there was the thing that basically made my entire week: the new Ipanema station. Not only is it beautiful and convenient, but it means you no longer have to take a bus from Copacabana and can just go straight there, saving lots of time and preventing a hassle. So basically, amazing (cue heavenly music here):

The question now is if the Metro can manage to extend the line even further to Barra, theoretically before 2014 in time for the World Cup. It doesn't seem likely, but if it happens at all, it will really help alleviate traffic (which is why a lot of bus companies are opposed to it, unfortunately).

While on Supervia, the suburban commuter trains, I noticed a sign saying that public preaching was prohibited. I was surprised, since this had been a common occurence to see evangelical preachers proselytizing on the cars, even on incredibly crowded rush hour trains. Apparently, a local court prohibited the practice on Supervia, though I wonder if the law has actually stuck. I'm guessing exhausted commuters tired of zealots shouting on packed trains are all for the new rule.

Finally, the international airport still needs some work, but it seems like one of the biggest problems is actually with staff. When we left, the airport workers were on strike, causing massive lines to get through security and immigration. [Click that link to see a pretty awesome photo of a belligerent striker in a gorilla costume] While waiting on the seemingly interminable line, I tried to hand a lost tourist card to one of the employees, who blew me off twice; somehow, some gringo ahead of me left the country without it, though some people are charged money if they lose it. An angry Carioca in front of us was screaming into his cell phone on the immigration line, spitting expletives and haranging someone about bringing the law down (Eli suspected he might have been a federal policeman). He complained to some of the staff about the line, and while they seemed sympathetic and deferential, he still had to wait with the rest of us, giving me a small hint of satisfaction. When we got to the gate, the gringoes were all completely confused and frustrated.

And lastly, TAM is awesome. I loved some of the extra goodies they gave out and the individual TV sets in each seat, and the service was excellent. It was the first time I flew direct, and though the flight was painfully long, it was otherwise relatively painless.

Security

I wasn't in the city long enough to get a good sense of this (and plus, I came at a weird time), but while I was there, there was definitely an increased police presence on the streets in Zona Sul. I was surprised to see pairs of cops at intersections, seemingly following the Rudy Giuliani method of street policing. There also seemed to be a lot more police on the beach in Ipanema, though some of them didn't seem to be too concerned with policing per se:

And while I didn't have enough time to fully gage this, I seemed to see fewer homeless people in Zona Sul, particularly in my old neighborhood, where they used to be ubiquitous. It's possible there was a recent sweep so it doesn't mean much, but I hoped that it meant more people, especially children, have been able to leave the streets.

Guest Post: Criticism with Love

One of the things that most irritates Brazilians is criticism from foreigners, something I've written about extensively and something that every foreigner in Brazil will always encounter. While suspicion of foreign intervention and dislike of foreign criticism is deeply ingrained, and while it has become something of a knee-jerk reaction to dismiss the "gringo metido," I always like to stress that there is a big difference in where the criticism is coming from. If it's from someone who knows almost nothing about Brazil, the kind of person who says, "Brazil will never be ready for the World Cup," or "Brazil is really dangerous," without any kind of actual facts or infomration to back them up, then irritation is certainly warranted. But when criticism comes from someone who knows a lot about Brazil, someone who lives or lived there and actively follows current events and geniunely loves the country as if it was his or her own, it's another story. We have a lot to say because we care, and we feel a vested interest in seeing positive change. Such is the case with me, but also with many of my gringo readers.

One reader is Adam, a former missionary and jack of all trades who spent several years living in Brazil, whose dream is to move back and work on social development projects. He wrote an interesting piece in his blog, Igneous Quill, that I think is not only very astute, but a perfect example of someone who genuinely seeks solutions for a place he loves. He was kind enough to let me share it, so here it is.

What Keeps Brazil Back - Adam Gonnerman

The few years I lived in Brazil were both wonderful and frustrating. Wonderful because of the people I was with and the experiences we shared, frustrating because of the systemic problems that put a drag on the ability of people to get ahead in life.  By the time I left Brazil and began my exile of sorts here in the United States I had distilled my explanation of Brazil’s systemic failure down to three points: centralism, collectivism and positivism.  Despite Brazil being one of the “BRIC” nations and considered an emerging economy, this nation has a lot of reform to do before its true potential can be released. And by “reform” I mean “simplication.”

First, there’s centralism. The entire tax structure of Brazil is centralized. It’s actually called a “tribute system,” and municipal and state taxes are collected and funneled to the national capital, Brasilia. Control of so much money concentrated in one place assures that there will me massive corruption. The Brazilian federal government is unarguably too big, with far too many employees on the payroll.  Most of these keep their full pay and benefits after retirement. It has been argued that such a tribute system is necessary to sustain the poorer states, and that Rio and Sao Paulo serve as the “economic engines” of the country. I say, drop the excessive and unnecessary rules and you’ll see people in those poorer states put their creativity to good work.

Read the rest of the post after the jump.

Catching Up With the Catadores

CNN did an interesting piece on the catadores from Jardim Gramacho, Rio's largest landfill and the setting for this year's best documentary, Waste Land. (Way to mention the movie, CNN. It only put Gramacho on the map, internationally anyway).

An excerpt: "Gramacho will close down for good in 2012 as the methane is extracted. It will be replaced by smaller, more modern landfills, good news for the environment but a bittersweet end for the garbage pickers who make their living here. They can earn between $400 and $2,500 a month, decent wages, although the working conditions can be very difficult."

Watch the report below:

If you haven't seen Waste Land yet, find out where it's playing near you and go!

WASTE LAND Official Trailer from Almega Projects on Vimeo.

Brazil on 60 Minutes

60 Minutes did a profile on Brazil, which is a bit like a watered down version of Brazil on the Rise aimed at Americans who know almost nothing about South America. It's also a glowing review of Lula and his government and Eike Batista and his projects, as well as evidence of one CBS cameraman's whimsical trip around Rio.

It's basically everything you all already know about Brazil condensed into 13 minutes of a lot B-roll footage. The majority of it rehashed most of what the American media has already written or produced; one of the only factual problems I saw was about the vehicle attacks during the week of violence in Rio (it wasn't just "near the sooccer stadiums" that they were burning vehicles, including both cars and buses). In any event, the interviews with Lula, Eike Batista, and Eduardo Bueno are fun to watch, so have a look:

 

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