What changes have you seen in the favela since the film came out?
The community is different every time you go back. It’s still a war zone. And, in some ways, by converting a lot of the drug army into musicians, Afro Reggae have weakened the defence mechanism of the favela and left it more susceptible to attack from other drug cartels. But there is a new perception of the favelas from the wealthy and middle class areas around them in Rio and Sao Paulo. And that has to do with more stories like Favela Rising, which show that most of the favela population aren’t gangstas or thugs, but a reliable workforce. You’re now starting to see more employment opportunities as a result. The police have done a great job with PR, and done some cool symbolic things like encouraging Afro Reggae members to offer graffiti courses to police officers, to developing more of an understanding on one another. But the trafficking, corruption in the system and the roots of poverty are still in place – a film can only do so much.
