Matt Mochary – Director of the Documentary “Favela Rising”

By Neusa Martinez - Translation from Portuguese Inter Learning Center

AcheiUSA – Why did two Americans like you and Jeff Zimbalist decide to make the documentary “Favela Rising”?
Matt - We both wanted to tell the story of a community that worked, of a community and of individuals that were succeeding in spite of extreme obstacles. When I met Anderson in Brazil in March of 2003 at a conference sponsored by the Hewlett Foundation, I knew that his was the story we had to tell.

AcheiUSA – What impressed you most about the work and projects developed by Afro Reggae in the slums?
Matt - Everything they do is impressive, from the bands, which entertain thousands of people to the daycare programs for infants. They are providing programs for every age and every type of person. So all can learn, gain skills, have work, and make money to eat well and buy clothes. But if I had to pick one thing that is the most impressive, it is the work that AR is doing with the police, teaching music, theater and graffiti. And the teachers all are Afro Reggae members who have been the victims of police violence at some point in their lives, or are gay (another group which is the victim of prejudice. From them just spending time with each other in a non-violent situation, they are learning they are good people.

AcheiUSA – In your opinion, how could they stop violence in Brazil?
Matt -Lack of schools leads to lack of skills, which leads to lack of jobs, which leads to lack of money, which leads to crime in order to put food on the table. Police are asked to stop the crime. But only schooling and jobs will stop the crime.

AcheiUSA – Did you have to ask the drug dealers for permission to shoot the documentary in the slum?
Matt - We knew we needed their permission. We didn’t ask it directly. AfroReggae made sure that all those permissions were granted each and every time we were shooting in the favelas.

AcheiUSA – Have you met any traffickers or visited their home?
Matt - We have been in some of their houses, and met their families; we did not spend a lot of time talking with current traffickers. We simply met them so that they could understand who it was that they were giving permission to. We have, however, spent quite a lot of time talking to x-traffickers. Men who have been able to quit the trade and join Afro Reggae as legitimate members of the workforce. Each one of them had spent many months or even years trying to get legitimate work, and for various reasons, they couldn’t. Only after many months of effort did they turn to crime as their final option. And each was so relieved to be able to leave that life when Afro Reggae gave them the option to leave...

AcheiUSA – Did you ever feel scared? Did you witness any kind of violence in Rio?
Matt - Everyone involved in the film was stopped at some point by the police just outside the slums - “favelas.” Those were all scary moments, because the police didn’t know who we were or why we were there. But all the policemen we encountered ended up being reasonable people, and once they understood what we were doing, they let us go on our way.

AcheiUSA – How did they enjoy Favela Rising in the USA?
Matt - So far the movie is being very well received. Everyone who sees it loves it. The proof of this is that we were just awarded “Best Feature Film of 2005” by the International Documentary Association. That is a huge honor. In addition, David LaChapelle (the most famous music video director in the US and the director of RIZE), when he saw the film said something like: “Wow, that might be the most important film I’ve ever seen. Favela Rising is a train. And we all better get on it.”

AcheiUSA – What do you think about Rio de Janeiro?
Matt - I lived there on and off for 2 years while we were shooting Favela Rising. It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. And what a beach!!!

AcheiUSA – Please describe an unforgettable moment in Rio?
Matt - One of the most unforgettable moments for me was the first Baile Funk (Funk Party) that I went to. At the entrance to the favela, while we were waiting for permission to enter, we were surrounded by over 100 teenagers heavily armed with AK-47s; some even had grenades. It was nerve-wracking to be standing among these teenagers at midnight, who wore only surfing shorts, “havaianas” (Brazilian flip-flops), and guns. We then went to the Baile Funk. After filming there for about 3 hours, we left. The next morning, two of our translators asked us if we were OK. We said that we were fine. They told us that the police had raided that favela at around 3:30am (just 20-30 minutes after we left we realized) and machine-gunned the entire building where the Baile Funk had been. No one died (there was plenty of forewarning that the police were coming and everyone evacuated), but the news still impacted us greatly. It was the first time we had a clear example that death was possible, even for us.

For more information on Afro Reggae’s work, go to: http://www.afroreggae.org.br  and about the movie: www.favelarising.com

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