All across Brazilian cities irregular buildings sprawl, piling up like honeycombs. Favelas and dilapidated houses are a focal point of urban poverty. Departing from a reflection on these precarious places, this film tries to track a different kind of urbanization and takes the viewers into the life of their inhabitants. The film accompanies urban protagonists in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and documents political, economic and cultural alternatives to social exclusion..
Favelas can be thought of as a materialization of the social exclusion that affects their inhabitants. Though crowded with people, lacking infrastructure, and manifesting cultural and economical discrimination, favelas are nevertheless places of solidarity and laboratories of political, economic and cultural alternatives. This documentary explores the practices of empowerment developed by various institutions in their struggle for a better life and interrelates issues such as community development, education, social history, favela culture and ”economia solidaria”.
Urban Research in Emancipatory Struggles is maintained by a network of people from Japan, Brazil, Germany and the USA. An open group with different backgrounds (Students, Scientists, Translators, Workers, Activists, Artists, Unemployed etc.) that came together to work on questions of social exclusion, urbanism (e.g. right to the city) and social movements. They see their activities not only as a reflection on exclusion and empowerment but also as a part of different social struggles. If you want to engage or participate please contact: urps@ymail.com
