SIDETRACK FILMS

'Favela Rising'

"Never doubt," Margaret Mead famously said, "that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." A vibrant documentary, "Favela Rising," makes the case for that philosophy in the strongest possible terms.

Winner of close to a dozen festival awards and one of the films short-listed for last year's documentary Oscar, "Favela Rising" is a remarkable story of transformation and challenge on several levels, some completely unexpected.
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From Los Angeles Times – Posted on August 04 2006

Favela Rising

Bottom line: A daring and emotional documentary.

Many of the on-camera musings by the subjects of "Favela Rising" might draw eye rolls as part of a Hollywood script: "Somehow I had to fight for something better." "We're using music as an instrument of change." Rehearsed sound bites? Probably, but taken in context, those two quotes represent the heart of this daring and emotional documentary. – read more

From The Hollywood Reporter – Posted on May 24 2006

Favela Rising

Working with fancy post-prod digitals courtesy of HBO, filmmakers Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary bring the Brazilian ghetto experience to Middle America, complete with harsh-contrast City of God cinematography, bloody violence, and suspiciously manipulative editing. "Direct cinema" this ain't, but the heart, as always, is where it should be, and Favela Rising has an authentically inspirational tale to tell. – read more

From The Village Voice – Posted on May 23 2006

Favela Rising

Interview: Jeff Zimbalist

Award-winning doc Favela Rising tells the story of Afro Reggae, a Brazilian band/community group born out of Rio's violent, drug-running Vigario Geral favela in the early 1990s. Led by Anderson Sa, Afro Reggae aim to capture control of the favela back from the drug traffickers through inspiring local kids to take up music rather than guns. – read more

From Fact Magazine – Posted on April 29 2006

Favela Rising

Inspirational Documentary Reveals Hope for Rio's Slums

Rio de Janeiro, arguably one of the world's most spectacular metropoli, is also famously beset with one of humanity's less forgiving social environs, the favela. Although in the West, the term has become part of household vocabulary thanks to Fernando Meirelles' spine-chilling City Of God, how life truly operates in Brazil's slums remains an enigma to most of us. The common perception of such areas - which, as in the case of Rio, have grown in no small measure atop the city's towering mountains - is that of a violent drug-trade and the continuous and gritty war of attrition between its benefactors and the police. And this would not be entirely inaccurate. – read more

From The Epoch Times – Posted on March 12 2006

Favela Rising

Review: Favela Rising

This arresting documentary tells of the rise of AfroReggae, a Brazilian band with a conscience born of violence and drug-running in the Rio favela of Vigario Geral in the early '90s. Anderson Sa, the band's founder and the focus of this film, dreamt of being 'a revolutionary druglord' when he was a kid, which speaks volumes about his neighbourhood. As this fast-paced but well-informed film tells us, 3,937 minors died as a result of violence in the city between 1987 and 2001, and the directors of 'Favela Rising' give us a taste of the situation by presenting ample TV footage of bodies, blood baths, drug stashes and firearms (usually an ugly combination of all four). But music and performance take centre-stage too, and Anderson himself offers a story of hope; a former drug dealer, he's now a community leader and a local icon. – read more

From Time Out London – Posted on March 07 2006

				Favela Rising 'Favela Rising' "Never doubt," Margaret Mead famously said, "that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." A vibrant documentary, "Favela Rising," makes the case for that philosophy in the strongest possible terms. Winner of close to a dozen festival awards and one of the films short-listed for last year's documentary Oscar, "Favela Rising" is a remarkable story of transformation and challenge on several levels, some completely unexpected. – read more From Los Angeles Times – Posted on August 04 2006

				Favela Rising Favela Rising Bottom line: A daring and emotional documentary. Many of the on-camera musings by the subjects of "Favela Rising" might draw eye rolls as part of a Hollywood script: "Somehow I had to fight for something better." "We're using music as an instrument of change." Rehearsed sound bites? Probably, but taken in context, those two quotes represent the heart of this daring and emotional documentary. – read more From The Hollywood Reporter – Posted on May 24 2006

				Favela Rising Favela Rising Working with fancy post-prod digitals courtesy of HBO, filmmakers Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary bring the Brazilian ghetto experience to Middle America, complete with harsh-contrast City of God cinematography, bloody violence, and suspiciously manipulative editing. "Direct cinema" this ain't, but the heart, as always, is where it should be, and Favela Rising has an authentically inspirational tale to tell. – read more From The Village Voice – Posted on May 23 2006

				Favela Rising Interview: Jeff Zimbalist Award-winning doc Favela Rising tells the story of Afro Reggae, a Brazilian band/community group born out of Rio's violent, drug-running Vigario Geral favela in the early 1990s. Led by Anderson Sa, Afro Reggae aim to capture control of the favela back from the drug traffickers through inspiring local kids to take up music rather than guns. – read more From Fact Magazine – Posted on April 29 2006

				Favela Rising Inspirational Documentary Reveals Hope for Rio's Slums Rio de Janeiro, arguably one of the world's most spectacular metropoli, is also famously beset with one of humanity's less forgiving social environs, the favela. Although in the West, the term has become part of household vocabulary thanks to Fernando Meirelles' spine-chilling City Of God, how life truly operates in Brazil's slums remains an enigma to most of us. The common perception of such areas - which, as in the case of Rio, have grown in no small measure atop the city's towering mountains - is that of a violent drug-trade and the continuous and gritty war of attrition between its benefactors and the police. And this would not be entirely inaccurate. – read more From The Epoch Times – Posted on March 12 2006

				Favela Rising Review: Favela Rising This arresting documentary tells of the rise of AfroReggae, a Brazilian band with a conscience born of violence and drug-running in the Rio favela of Vigario Geral in the early '90s. Anderson Sa, the band's founder and the focus of this film, dreamt of being 'a revolutionary druglord' when he was a kid, which speaks volumes about his neighbourhood. As this fast-paced but well-informed film tells us, 3,937 minors died as a result of violence in the city between 1987 and 2001, and the directors of 'Favela Rising' give us a taste of the situation by presenting ample TV footage of bodies, blood baths, drug stashes and firearms (usually an ugly combination of all four). But music and performance take centre-stage too, and Anderson himself offers a story of hope; a former drug dealer, he's now a community leader and a local icon. – read more From Time Out London – Posted on March 07 2006