Quite a few folks have already visited my blog to see my story "Clarke of the Favela". I gave a lengthy explanation about the favelas in Brazil and how I was cautious to depict it in a way where it could be a place of happiness and of darkness.
I just thought I would share a couple videos to show off the favela that I was trying to create. the first is from the classic film "Black Orpheus" in which the slum can be seen as anything but a place of suffering though the poverty of the characters is clear. This is one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema.
The second clip is from a recent videogame called Max Payne 3. It is a well written pulp-style script it is also displaying a favela in a way that has been popularized by movies like City of God, Fast 5 and other action films as a gritty and violent wasteland with no order or hope.
This video is from Aljazeera television reporting on Favelas that are on the mend and shows us some reality. The reality of these slums is a combination of the previous two videos. It shows the violence that the favelas came to be known for but it also shows the spirit of the poor and how they can overcome their lot in life. This is a lengthy and in-depth report about the problems that the favelas face, but also how they can become safer places when the good people are given their communities back. This UPP program is clearly a blessing to most favela inhabitants but I would be naive if I didn't see this report as a bit propagandist.
Ultimately bringing a fantasy world to life in "Clarke of the Favela" was one thing I wanted to do, but I was also very conscious of the picture I was drawing of Brazil as I wanted the story to be fantastic but also a positive view of a place that many people came to fear. It looks as though Clarke's favela might have some truth to it though and I hope to see what Brazil has to offer in their upcoming performances on the world's stage.
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