vimeo.com/.../82025725

2013-12-19 11:30 BATTLE FOR RIO - VINT-en

PACIFYING RIO

a film by Gonzalo Arijón

We're a group of 5 policemen here.

Before,

it would have taken 20 of us.

We arrived here
without any confrontation,

which would have been impossible before.

This was one of their bases?

Yes, this was used for defense
and as a lookout point.

From here they could see the police
approaching from that street there.

It was also the perfect spot

to survey the traffickers.

Maracanã Stadium is over there,
on the left.

So they're pacifying for the World Cup?

Not for the World Cup,

nor the Olympic Games.

Of course they're very important

but it was something
the city desperately needed.

The main challenge is to make sure
the pacification is something sustainable.

So that one day
we'll no longer need so many police here.

That's the idea...

They've replaced a lot of policemen.

Some of them were coming in
acting like sheriffs,

and it didn't work.

Because we need to build this together

Citizenship is something
you build over time.

However long it takes...

one brick at a time,

And we're learning to live together.

There was a misunderstanding

on our side and theirs

As if...

they didn't understand
the way we live here,

and that led to problems.

It wasn't easy though?

No, it wasn't easy.
In the beginning it wasn't.

They had the idea we were in cahoots
with the bad guys

but we were actually cohabiting.

To live with something is one thing.

To think it's inevitable is something else

We never thought it was inevitable.

If you take me away from here

to Copacabana, Barra,
any other place

I would go of course,

but I would still be
a guy from the favela.

My life is here.

And I'm proud of it.
It's a good place to live.

I wouldn't change this
for anything.

If you take me away from here,
I'd die.

I really like it here.

Before we used to pay
25 reais for TV

It was illegal, of course.

Now the state offers us
the same thing.

What did you pay 25 reais for?

For the same thing
we have today.

Now I pay 130
and don't get as many channels

But who did you pay?

Everybody here paid...

But who did you pay?

Some guy who worked at Sky.

It was illegal,
but it was what we had.

But now, there's nothing left.

Now we have the Pacification Police
sent by the government,

They sold us an illusion.

It's an illusion.

Because the UPP...

I can't say we preferred
certain situations

but what used to be good
is no longer the same.

We have peace, it's calm,
but that's not all we need.

Things here couldn't be better.

Some days no electricity,
other days no water.

The only improvement is
that there are no more shootings.

Now you have to pay for light,
for water, for everything.

When we didn't pay, things worked.
Now we pay and they don't.

We were happy
and we didn't know it.

We were happy
and we didn't know it.

We thought we were unhappy
but we were healthier than we thought.

Now we look fine,
but we're actually sick.

The pain is invisible.
Sometimes when you look at someone, they look fine!

But they're actually screwed up,
everything is broken inside.

But their body looks fine,
so you think everything's OK.

I wonder if one day
my grandchildren will be happy.

Over 20 years

we lost many lives:

kids, workers, housewives.

We lost many people.

Thank God

this is going to stop.

It's going to be a new world.

Rio de Janeiro is a city

that has many smaller cities within it.

That was, and still is our problem.

And the UPP isn't the solution
for everything

The Police must take care of the city

What we're doing now is
entering these disputed areas.

The UPP will not end drug trafficking,

there are drugs in Paris, in London,

everywhere in the world.

What we're giving back to our citizens
is the right to come and go.

And allowing public and private services
to reach these areas.

It's not just a fight against drugs.

This term "pacification"...

It was very difficult to get people
to accept the term pacification.

Because for politicians,
pacification meant war.

It meant that all was lost.

It was a very strong word for politicians,
who only want good news.

I said, Governor,

it has to be pacification,
because in these areas,

in these favelas, it's war.

It's not war in the whole city of Rio

but in these areas it's war.

So every time the traffickers
have to be warned?

Always.

Over that way
they don't allow filming.

There were these guys sitting there

and this girl came over
with her camera,

and a guy suddenly jumped her.

The guy in white is there

to warn them that we're coming.

So you don't need to stop filming.

This is what we do - we mediate.

He keeps a lookout.

It's always like this.

It's the only way
to get in and out in one piece.

We need to talk to them

because our favela isn't pacified yet.

Vigário Geral isn't pacified,

so we need permission from the traffickers.

Unfortunately they still make the rules.

This is where I live

It's still a work in progress.

I bought the house a while ago.

Here's my son,
Paulo Henrique.

Where's your sister?

Let's go up to the roof terrace.

From here you can see
the entire community.

There you can see the "Gaza Strip"
that divides the favela in two,

where many innocent people died.

That was what started the war...

the death of innocent people

and the death of a drug lord's daughter.
This guy got so mad

that he swore he would invade
to avenge his daughter's death

and that's what he did,
he invaded Vigário Geral.

And for the last 6 years
Terceiro Comando has ruled the favela.

Those fireworks are a warning
that the police are entering the favela.

The police are coming into the favela.

The traffickers use them
to warn everyone.

All the drug dealers.

Do you think this favela
will be pacified one day?

For now there's been no talk of it.

We're all waiting.

but it's difficult to say anything.
We don't know.

Can we go now?

This house here

is now called the "House of Peace".

A whole family died here.

All murdered

by the police, for no reason.
They were people with jobs.

The strange thing is that
on the day of the massacre

all the people killed had regular jobs.

There wasn't a single gangster.

Let's be very careful.

Be careful all of you.

Dirceu, Odilon.

Everybody will be on the street.

Take Liliane and Sabrina with you...

And I'll be able to tell you later
where the camera can go and film.

Ok? So we don't bother them
and vice versa.

It's difficult...
it's hard to talk about it.

But to me it's not so difficult

because I'm used to it.

No one wants
to get used to things like this

but that's what happens
to all of us.

Of course, sometimes we're frightened,
sometimes things happen,

but this is our everyday reality

For me, it's become kind of normal.

We've been living in conflict
for decades. Wars, shootings, bombings, killings.

Playing music here is like an antidote.

When you bring out these instruments,

you release a kind of spirit.

Like Abreu says, a ray of light shines out.

It's something that heals.

You'll have to wrap it up soon.

Seen that guy watching you?

No!

My son!

My son!

Who did this?

Who?

I won't be another Edna.

I won't be the mother with a dead child
at the school door.

I won't be another Rosa,
whose son was dragged away from her.

I won't be another Marilene,
who couldn't even bury her daughter.

Wake up my son, you're scaring mama!
Wake up!

Wake up, you son-of-a-bitch!

For me the most important thing
is to be able to keep my students alive.

If I only come to teach once a week,

and they all stay alive for many years,

I'd be very happy.

Mission accomplished!

Enough with all the lovelessness,
all the death.

These kids die too early.
At 14, 13… 17

How could a city like Rio de Janeiro

reach such levels of criminality
and violence?

For more than 100 years,

Rio was the capital of Brazil.

Everybody came to Rio

looking to improve their lives,
because it was where things happened.

People arrived and were allowed

to settle however they liked.

At the end of the 70s,
drug trafficking arrived,

Lots of drugs,

which made lots of money.

With so much money involved,

the gangs started to fight.

3 gangs emerged

and these 3 gangs spread
across the entire city,

setting up business,
looking for territories.

Land within Rio is very scarce

so these people headed for the hills,

and these hills are inside the city,
not on its periphery.

People started to occupy these hills

because that was
where the state was absent.

The state took care of people down here
and gave up the hills.

So we began
to occupy these areas

with a massive police presence.

I think that was the difference.

The police used to come in,
kill, die, become corrupt, and leave.

They often took prisoners,
killed people,

officers died,
they confiscated weapons,

but it wasn't enough,
because the most important thing

was to take the territory
away from those people.

It would all happen in the morning,

and by the evening,
others had already taken their place

and found new weapons.

No one had even taken their territory.

So, for 30 years or more,
Rio entered a vicious circle.

What we did was to reverse the paradigm:

we're taking control of the territory,
destroying the walls imposed by violence.

Do you have authorization to film?

Hold on, I'll check
if you have authorization.

Wait there a minute.

Why do we need authorization?

You're just filming me!

That's the result of pacification:
social control.

Control over the lives
of the people of the favelas.

You never see this down there,
they never check anyone.

But here, residents can be stopped
at any time.

And when you're stopped,
you're always assumed to be a suspect.

Why are residents suspects?
Why are they stopped?

Because they're black or white?

Because they live in the favela,
or dress the wrong way?

Down there it's different.
They never check anyone.

It always happens up here.

So pacification has its pros and cons.

But it's not their fault.

They're just doing their job.
They're workers.

Workers just like us.
He's working here, just like me.

But sadly the laws are created on high
by people who don't listen.

They only come here looking for votes.

- OK. So I can authorize?

Kids today can stay on the streets later.

Before, they couldn't.
They lived indoors.

Their kids couldn't come and go.

Today that's what the UPP is doing.

The right to come and go
the freedom for them to work,

to go home, to play in peace.

I agree, but not with everything you say.
I'm sorry.

Because you have to
listen to the community.

If you listen to the community
you will understand what's better for us

- No... of course...
- You can't say: "ah, this is better".

I can't even say myself
what's better for the community, for you.

The community wants peace.

We're fighting for this peace.

Our biggest fear is that come 2016,
the Pacification Police will leave.

That's our fear.

Everywhere, people are saying:

It will be over after the Olympic Games...

Are you really worrying about

the police coming in
and leaving after 6 months?

We've been here for almost 3 years.

You're working...
You've seen lots of changes

Yes, many things have happened...

And we've been here for 3 years.

Our baby will be called
Loren or Clara,

but as the woman always
has the last word, she'll be Loren!

Great!

I... I only participated...
but I don't get to choose anything!

She's the boss!

At home, and on the street.

My family has always been quite troubled.

But I can say I'm the opposite
of what people expect.

When you're born in the favela
you're expected to become a gangster.

My cousin was the king of this hill.

He was the boss here for 20 years.

He was called the "Black Marquis".

Back then, Comando Vermelho
was the gang in charge here.

Comando Vermelho was
at the height of its powers then.

So my cousin was king of this hill.

He practically brought me up.

As a kid, I was tempted, you know?

It's common to feel tempted.

You see the drug lord
with lots of women.

I saw my cousin with a different girl
almost every day!

You see the drug lord
with a nice motorbike.

Everybody respects him.

When he goes to a party

everybody respects him.

So of course you're tempted
to get into it.

You're tempted, but...

there's always a way
to show another side.

I've lived here for 30 years.

I've seen friends die.

I've seen friends get out of trafficking.

I've seen everything you can imagine
happening in a favela.

And this phase we're living through now

is changing the face of the favela.

One comes and the other goes...

That's the routine in Babilônia.

Over there, my friend...

We won't create Paradise overnight,
of course.

but we're doing what is necessary

to give everyone a good quality of life.

The service road will be fundamental.

Because this road will mean

the trucks will be able
to collect waste closer to the houses,

sick people will get to hospital quicker.

Apartment blocks will be built
in three places in the community

to offer alternative accommodation

to those who have to move,

either because they live
in dangerous housing,

or because of the need to build
the road or other work

it's sometimes necessary
to move people.

This is a very special time for Rio.

The whole city is getting ready
for big international events

that will focus the world's attention
on our daily lives.

We're going to improve all the houses
that are not in risk areas

or in the way of construction.

The renovation is not about beautifying
even though everything will be nicer.

We'll address what directly affects
everybody's health and quality of life,

within each house, or in terms of the neighborhood.

Respecting the environment...

I don't live in a risk area

but I have a house and 2 sons
who can't sleep with me.

They miss it.

But I can't sleep with them

because my house is made of tiles and plaster
and is falling down.

Is this an improvement?

Will you remove and build from scratch
or just improve what's already there?

Valdir! Valdir!

My question is whether it's possible...

Let's listen to Valdir please

... to improve the height of the steps.

The basement is causing lots of problems.

When it rains, because it's built on stone,
water comes in and it gets very mouldy

How can we resolve this problem?

You were going to...

The priority in our fight is to remain here.

I don't want improvements

if the residents can't enjoy them.

Can't benefit from the improvements.
We understand

that the community is going through
a gentrification process.

The area is being improved.

And it's also becoming more expensive.

So what's happening?

Why are we fighting today?

We're fighting so that in the future

not only the current residents
but also their kids can stay here.

The residents must understand
that they have to stand together.

Improvements, yes!

Is it a good thing
to improve houses in the favela?

Yes, very good! But let's start
with those who really need it,

who are having a hard time.

We are very vigilant,

we are reaching out
to other communities

and know what problems are occurring.

The minister of lodging just spoke
about this but he didn't talk about

the abuses and arbitrary decisions
that have occurred in Providência.

If the residents here knew what was happening there,
they'd be flabbergasted

The first favela was built
by freed black slaves,

who were literally used as canon fodder.

Once they were freed, they had no work,

because there was no agricultural reform
when slavery ended in Brazil.

These black people
were abandoned to their fate.

If they joined the army,
they'd been promised houses

when they returned.

While they waited,
they set up camp and built houses,

and now their great-grandchildren
are still there...

How long have you lived here, Marcia?

Here, in this house,
a little over 20 years.

but I've lived in this community
for 52 years.

My whole life.

Today, I see all this, my whole history,
going down the drain.

Because of a lack of information,
a lack of dialogue.

If there had been dialogue,
things could have turned out well,

but there was no dialogue.
It came by surprise.

They want to destroy everything here?

Yes. They want to expropriate us.
Tear this whole building down.

But they're not offering
anything in exchange.

All we had was an insulting offer:
a monthly rent subsidy of 400 reais.

For how long?

Only God knows how long!

And over there,
up where the trees are,

they're going to build
a funicular railway.

And on this square
that has already been demolished,

they're going to build the cable car.

Now, if you ask me

if the cable car
will benefit the community,

I don't think it will.
It will only benefit tourism.

This was the first favela in Latin America,
114 years old.

A historic favela.

Our history is being thrown away.

They have no respect for our history.

Many millions have been spent on this.

Which would have been very useful

for a family clinic,
or a secondary school,

the family doctor,

but none of that...

How much are the 2016 Olympics

changing people's lives?
Especially poor people's lives?

It would have been better
to leave it as it was.

It would have been better
to leave it as it was.

Because when you talk
about pacification

you think:
everything will be under control.

Everything will be controlled.

Look here. It's all finished.

Why did they pacify?

To throw us out now?

Hi, Dona Marcia, shall we go?

Let's go, Eron!

Yeah! Grand Canyon.
I like that!

This is the Grand Canyon here...
and there's the Mississippi river!

It's getting worse and worse.

As a friend of mine says:
"I'd like to be poor for a day,

because being poor every day is too hard!"

S-M-H: the acronym for
Rio's Housing Authority,

and the number refers
to the demolition of the house.

All the houses marked
will be removed, destroyed.

The aim is to open up
the Cruzeiro here

and leave a good view of the church.

Hi Paulão, how's it going?

Cool.

Look at this view!

This is what
everybody's interested in.

Who could say this isn't beautiful?
Look at that!

It's beautiful.

Rio Carnival,
the heart of the Rio Carnival.

That's the beating heart of our carnival.

Look at this view!

So the elite are interested in the favelas
close to the heart of the city.

Are you kidding?

I told you to go home.

The overall atmosphere changed a bit

with the feeling
of being able to move freely.

It also changed
when the city entered the favela.

Favelas became tourist destinations.

But above all,

there was more interest in these areas

which are some of the nicest in the city...

With the nicest views...

The favelas could become beautiful places

like lovely European medieval cities,
in their own style.

Not much architectural work
would be needed

to turn the favelas
into excellent places.

You must, of course,
provide basic services.

There are many deficiencies.

But there's a huge risk that
the favela population could be expelled

by market forces.

Who makes the kites?

Someone here in the community?

But with the works,
they're going to...

They're gonna tear it down.

They're gonna tear it down in August.

In August.

- Do you think it's a good thing?
- No.

So you'll remain without a shop?

Time's up for the kites...

But they'll be back!

She's closing the shop.

- Bye.
- Thanks.

They are the first

to enter the favela.

Not a single gunshot.

This first police wave is very quiet.

A battalion of press,
including foreign journalists...

We are here today to inaugurate
two new Pacification Police Units:

UPP Manguinhos and UPP Jacarezinho.

This is undoubtedly an opportunity

for these neighborhoods to be reborn.

I want to hear your voices,

I want to know what you want,

because now you are free to speak.

Before, you needed permission
from someone,

even to speak,

or to obey orders,

but now you are free.

There are several organizations here to show

that the UPP is much more
than just a police presence.

I wish the policemen good luck,

and happiness to the residents.

I also want to tell the policemen

that every day, with their actions,

they are helping to increase
the legitimacy of the Military Police.

Congratulations to everybody.

I don't think... that things...
will become wonderful overnight.

The inequalities will remain.

That's how capitalism is,
we know that.

But the huge inequalities,

those vast social differences

within such a small area,

were always a potential source of conflict.

A picture-postcard view
of Rio de Janeiro.

So here, next to picture-postcard Rio,

we see the extreme poverty
of all these favelas.

You can see Fogueteiro,
Falé, Mineira, Catumbí.

All favelas that surround Santa Teresa and Prazeres.

That were pacified...

That were pacified 2 years ago,
all these favelas.

And in the meantime, with this policy
of pacification, of peaceful occupation,

not direct confrontation
with drug trafficking,

not reproducing the prohibitionist policy

that came from abroad,
from the USA,

that was so readily adopted here,
and led to many deaths,

today, you have an alternative.

Another way of doing things,
as we're doing here.

You can see the death toll fall.

Just by being able to save
all these lives

the whole project, all the investment
becomes worth it.

What's going on?

This is crazy!
Look at this!

She looks like a girl from a telenovela!

I don't start until 9 am

and I always arrive early!

That's why
I'm doing my hair.

So you think you're at the salon now!

but since I've come straight from jail,

they don't let us
use these things, you know?

So it's the only way
I can make myself pretty.

Pretty? You?

How many people were
under your command?

Lots!

Because I ran the dens where the drugs were sold,
but I was also leader of the gang.

For all of Rio?

For all of Rio.
The whole of Comando Vermelho.

For how long?

More than 20 years.

And what was the idea?

For us, it was very important
to help the community.

Help the children and their families.

Because society doesn't help us.

Back then, we were the only ones

who were helping our community.

We traffickers, gangsters,

we were the ones doing good.

So there was an ideology, of course.
In those days...

Now the youth have changed for the worse,

they don't have the brains.

One might want to be in charge,

but the reality is

people with the ability should lead,
not those who want to lead.

That's where things get tricky,

they want to be leaders
but don't know how,

They're making problems for themselves
and killing each other,

exterminating each other...

and so it goes on!

Because you end up
paying for everything.

You pay for everything.

How long will you be in jail?

Until 2014.

Until 2014 I have this burden.

And then what?

I'll go back to my family.

And where's that?

I prefer not to say...
'cause you know... it could be dangerous.

What are you planning to do after 2014?

Go back to high school

and maybe one day go to fashion school.

That's my dream.

To go to fashion school,
I'd love that.

Has that always been your dream?

No, I also thought about
studying theology.

Because I like religions, cultures...

How long were you in this war?

If you could retire from crime,
I would already be retired.

I started at 11 and now I'm 44...

so 33 years in this life of crime.

Sometimes, I was...

I was quite bad in some ways.
I wasn't always good.

There was always a point
when I played tough.

Rose, sometimes, she was tough.

But mostly she had the sensitivity
to solve problems.

She preferred dialogue.

She'd see me upset and knew
I was going to ask something.

She'd ask: "What happened?"

I'd say "I'm gonna shoot this guy."

And sometimes she'd ask: "Are you sure?"

It's too much, I can't stand this anymore.

I'd go and get my gun,

but then I'd see the guy running away!
Shit!

She'd start laughing at me...

And I'd be like: "Fuck you,
you warned the guy!"

And the guy ran away.

Because she was raised with them.

So when I told her
I was going to get my gun

She would tell them to run away.

He's gonna shoot you!

She kept laughing...

But I wasn't too upset because...

I don't regret any of this
because they were lives I saved.

It was good.

We went through many things together,
Schneider and I.

We messed around a lot.

But now that we stop and think about it,

it wasn't leading anywhere, you know?

Our life today

is very pleasant.

And to be able to help others walk away from crime...

Cause we're helping them, you know?

Because it's not worth it.

What was your nickname?

Cat Face.

The famous Cat Face!

Then when you'd heard it too much,
you'd stop and change nickname.

What for example?

First it was Lulu,
then Cat Face,

and recently it was Nelson Mandela.

Everything's got a nickname!

It's always changing.

And now what is it?

Now it's Luis Carlos, or just Carlos!

Tell me about a typical day,
when you were controlling the trafficking.

It was very tough.

Really tough, very unfair.

You'd sleep in different places?

Always in a different place,
never sleep in the same place.

You can't trust your friends
and you don't have friends.

You can't trust anyone. You must always...

Sleep there today,
here tomorrow.

People think you're there
but you're somewhere else.

It's always like this.

You're never with your family.

You never sleep with your family.
You can't.

Or you'll get caught and it's over.

I spent many Christmases
loaded with money, girls, everything,

but none of them
were like last Christmas,

when I could be with my kids.

Having Christmas Eve with them.

Something we could
never do together.

Never! We never could!

I had to hide in my car
to get into my own house.

These guys, in their own worlds,
were CEOs of crime, man.

So if you use the same methodology
that these guys used for bad things...

because the good and the bad
are like that... very close!

So you say: "Wait, what's your strategy
for selling drugs?"

So you say: "Wait, what's your strategy
for selling drugs?"

We're gonna use the same strategy!

To get the guy out of drugs.

"What's the strategy for getting
a young boy into a gang?"

Let's use the same strategy
to get him out of crime.

And what's the strategy?
It's a matter of consumption,

material goods, self-esteem.

Because it's very often trivial things
that draw these guys into crime.

So we use the same strategies,
not for bad, but for good.

27 June 2012,

it's 10.57 am.

Today is Wednesday.

A few months ago,
my friend Pastor Rogério

started visiting

the most dangerous part of Rio de Janeiro,

home to one of the big-time traffickers,

Christiano Guedes, better known as Puma,

the leader of the ADA faction,
Amigo dos Amigos.

He's already given up his drug dens.

And now we're going to pick him up
from his house.

xxen It's your choice.

xxen I'm looking up to you.

xxen That's it.

xxen I see some friends I know...

- Let's go now! People are coming!
- Let's go!

So I think it was a big change
in behavior, a historic day.

Very, very important.

I had to do it

as an example for others.

So thanks to me, many more people,

without the need for aggression,
will choose love.

Today I'm here in the name of love

Nothing else.

I'm surrendering to love.

All this for the love of my family,
my kids, and myself.

One day there was an operation in the favela.

I was hiding,
there were lots of police around,

and I was watching my daughter
going to school with someone else.

I wanted to talk to her but I was hiding.

Looking at her from the window.

With this feeling...

because my kids are everything to me.

For me, that's the Darth Vader effect,

anyone can be the worst mass murderer
in the world, but will still have

a spark of goodness

and you need to invest in that spark.

If you can get to that spark,
it will spread

It's a metastasis of good.

That's how we do it!

We're looking for what's best for us.

We stop everything,
we don't want to know anything.

We're looking for the best.

It doesn't matter what people will say

The important thing is what you want
for your happiness and your family.

I know you're going to be happy,
that's cool.

Who would have said that,
with my own two legs,

I would walk inside a police precinct.

Many people here in the community

don't believe it,
this transformation of mine.

They come to see me, hug me,

say how happy they are for me.

I can go where I want to,

I can go to the restaurant... to the beach!

I can go to Maracanã Stadium
with my sons.

You've discovered the city?

I've discovered life!

Because I was vegetating. Now I'm alive!

Now my gang is AfroReggae.

We were enemies.

We were shooting at policemen
like Dantas,

when he was
on the top of the hill,

at the Alemão favela.

I had my worst fights
here in this community.

This only happens
at AfroReggae:

two years ago, I would have needed
an armored car to come here.

As soon as we entered the favela
we were under fire.

Our only interaction was with guns.

You shoot at me and I shoot at you.

Now we have this window
thanks to the Pacification Police,

this experiment,
which has to work.

The residents
are the bosses of the favela.

Traffickers can't be
the bosses of a community.

A trafficker can only
be the boss of a drug den.

Why do favela populations ask for the UPP?

Because many people today
don't respect the community.

That's why the residents

ask for the UPP.

I fully agree with the UPP project

but this should have happened
25 or 30 years ago.

There was a lack of political will.

We've had a Brazilian army,
we've had the police

for 200 years, and they didn't do it.

I'm totally in favor,

because in the 90s, I lived through
an invasion of the Military Police

that left 300 people dead,

the Varejo massacre.

Good afternoon. I'm the president
of the Grota residents' association

I'd like to ask Captain Robson a question.

- Colonel!
- Excuse me, Colonel.

A few things have happened here in Alemão

that I see as police prejudice
against favela residents.

I was standing outside, by the bank,
a chubby white guy,

and there were 4 black guys.

The blacks guys were checked,
but not me and another white guy.

I see this as prejudice.

It's not police prejudice though,
it comes from our society.

It's an inherent flaw...

in our society.

We will overcome this.

The project can't achieve
such a level of infallibility,

on the contrary,

that's why I'm saying we must improve.

And to improve we must listen. Ok?

I never thought I'd say one day

that the inspiration for an AfroReggae project
was a Colonel in the Military Police!

Times are really changing!

So you started from this?

From this photo?

And then, with tracing paper...

on top so that I can see

if the streets exist or not.

I put in the names of the streets.

- And these are the names they're giving you?
- That's right.

My friend, this is a revolution.

Only where the Pacification Police
are working.

Do you realize what this means?

You're putting history on paper.

Shit, this is going to
change things completely.

You're telling the story of the city,

the story of the favelas.

Something the authorities
never managed to do.

To be able to tell a relative...
That's my address!

Shit. It changes everything!

The sense of dignity is immeasurable.

Before it was "Where do you live?"
I live there, in Providência.

But how do I find your house?
Ask when you get there!

- Talk to Mrs Such and Such.
- Mrs What's her Name...

Now I have an address.

You can find my house.

In this sequence of steps

that starts with pacification,

the results in terms of

economic and social policy

make this integration possible,

but they are faced
with a major challenge.

It's not just a challenge

of urban and social integration,

the major challenge is to recognize

the value and the power

of this city's diversity.

The value and the power
of the city's diversity

will fight against prejudice.

I think that's what we have with the Social UPP.

The hope of reconfiguring the fabric of society.

And we have a struggle.

A struggle over the nature

of the new organization
in cities around the world.

How are things organized in today's cities?

That's what we're fighting for.

It's not just about social justice,

we also need to value diversity.

It's this mixture of different people

that's characteristic of Rio de Janeiro,

this wide diversity,

by which I mean this strength,

this vital force
at the heart of Rio de Janeiro,

this is the power of diversity,

that will enable us to rebuild
the social fabric, the urban fabric.

I think that Rio de Janeiro could be

one of the examples,

one of the models

showing the way towards this "new city".

That's what we're fighting for.

Oh my Lord!

They take things apart so fast,

in a fraction of a second!

Just like they destroyed our community
in the blink of an eye

Amazing how quickly
they dismantle their machinery.

It's quick to destroy.

Just like that!

My little house was standing there,
peacefully, doing no harm to anyone.

His house was beside mine,
doing no harm to anyone, and now it's gone!

Gone.

They kept on and on,
until they got what they wanted.

When they came
it was like a wasps' nest.

In the morning
when you opened the door,

they were waiting for you,
buzz buzz buzzing in your head.

In the afternoon,
when you thought it was over,

same thing!

More of them! Another team!

Scrambling your brain.

Until they managed to get rid of him.

I said: "I'm not going to let this
mess up my head...

Enough! I don't want to get sick because of it.

My house came up to here.

And here.

Look what's left there.

Look there

Now I'm lost without my home.

The only thing
I haven't lost yet is my wife!

I haven't lost my wife...

or my kids... and grand-kids.

That's all I've got left.
Otherwise,

I think I'd be in much worse shape.

Do you think you'll stay?

Of course! Resist, never give up!

And you'll win?

I'm convinced, who knows?

If you believe in miracles as I do...

If it wasn't for my faith I wouldn't be here

Do you know what happened?

We have to fight for our rights.

We have to fight for our rights.

If everybody realized

that we have rights,

that we should be respected too,

things would be done with dignity.

Because we live in the favela,
in the community,

doesn't that mean we're worth something?

No, we aren't.

Do you know what makes me say that?

Come the election they'll be knocking
on poor people's windows

To ask for votes.

Let's sit down and talk.

Look, I want your space.
Let's do something for the community.

But they haven't come yet.

Menor B

He was the king of the hill

who died 2 months ago.

They killed him.

His death was one of the reasons
for the invasion.

Menor B

Today, one year

after we last spoke,

armed criminals have come back.

They came back?

... after the UPP had been installed.

That's the fear of the residents.

How could traffickers come back
with the Pacification Police there?

The people are wondering
if they came back with their blessing.

Have they really come back?
Is there a deal? What happened?

There must be an operation
going on up there.

An operation?

Yes, drug traffickers,
something like that...

So here, people were playing samba,
a little show, having fun.

Around 2 am some armed guys
came out of there.

The residents went running.
They were really distraught...

It was right here.

The police tried to intervene.

But residents told them:
"Don't! They're heavily armed!"

And the police turned around.

Even I can understand.

Two revolvers against 7 automatic weapons?

I would have run away
if I was the police.

This is where it happened.

From that day there was a split:

one side is Comando Vermelho,
the other is ADA.

Here it's ADA.

When did this happen?

More or less one month ago.

Shall we go in?

Here: ADA. Still fresh.

This one is brand new...

We have 3 bosses today.

The guy from ADA,
the captain of the Pacification Police,

and the guy from Comando Vermelho.

It's weird because the residents
should be in charge, right?

Unfortunately, they're not.

Do I think Christ
is pacifying the city?

I think he wishes he could run away!

Christ must sometimes feel like
giving up and running away.

Because it's too much.

Traffickers even threatened
to bomb Christ...

It didn't help, it's not just the Police.

Now, it doesn't help to say

that the favela is a dangerous place
full of criminals,

like our governor said:

women in the favela
just produce criminals.

And the people down there

that's all they hear.
And the media reinforces it!

My role is to bring these people

to listen to the people here.

I don't want them to listen to me.

I don't want to go around
the favela and talk.

I'm here and I want to say:

do you want to know
what the favela wants?

Then come into the favela,
listen to the people.

There are loads
of intelligent people in there.

People who didn't study,
but have so much experience from life!

I don't think the UPP
was designed to tackle

a problem in the relationship
of the city to the favela.

People still think the problem
is inside the favela,

and not in the city/favela relationship.

This is the main issue:
it's a racial issue,

an issue of social exclusion,

of not recognizing equal rights for all,

an issue of image and culture.

It's about values, mentalities...

And in terms of the security problem,
the right to security,

segregation and confrontation,

the pacification of the city,

we all need to be pacified,
not just the favelas.

And this debate hasn't started yet!