BRAZILIAN PRODUCTION ABOUT HIP HOP AND VIOLENCE

[Guilherme Kujawski]

Hi All,

We are the producers of a documentary about the hip hop movement in the
outskirts of metropolitan Sao Paulo city (Brazil's largest megalopolis),
where rap is a very strong social force.
We're taping in digital video a series of testimonies about music and
violence in the suburban ghettos.
We experiencing several difficulties in this work, specially in terms of
financial resources. The country is quite poor, and there is also the lack
of interest from the official organizations, due to obvious political
reasons.
We are writing to Syndicate list asking for any advice/hint/idea you could
give us. We are in desperate need of assistance from producers or any
provider of financial support for the conclusion of our project.
We have more than twenty hours of taped interviews with musicians, community
leaders, etc. We also have several written articles and newspaper clips
about the project, and we can send them to those interested in helping us,
along with the image clips.
The documentary team is composed of three members: Mauricio Eca (director of
several award-winning productions, including prestigious rap group
"Racionais MC" (music videos), Teresa Eca (screenwriter) and Cobra (rapper).

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

UNIVERSO PARALELO ("PARALLEL UNIVERSE")

"UNIVERSO PARALELO" is a 90-minute documentary in progress, being currently
shot in several formats such as 16mm, Hi-8, and still pictures.

The film is a deep dive into the daily life of a poor and very violent
neighborhood in metropolitan São Paulo, largest Latin American megalopolis.
The documentary attempts to reveal a different universe from the affluent
downtown areas. Across the bridges over rivers Tiete and Pinheiros there
lies a true "parallel universe", a seemingly endless succession of poor
communities and neighborhoods, where life is hard and options are few. 

The production is focused on the transformation of this society caused by
the influence of hip hop and rap music. The musical revolution is sweeping
these communities and causing deep changes in the mood of the population,
increasing the self-steem and offering choices in life.

"UNIVERSO PARELELO" also intends to portrait the daily life at "Casa de
Detenção", Brazil largest penitentiary facility (also known "Carandiru").
There, the rules of a parellel universe are even more evident. An intramural
world of several thousand men, who created their own society with their set
of values and conduct.

The movie aims to address several aspects of life in a community shattered
by poverty and violence, and how these people attempt to solve their
problems. 

Excerpts of the interviews:

(RAP MUSICIAN): "Rap provided us with a voice we didn't have before. Now,
there's a growing space for those who write books, those who paint and
draw..."

(CARANDIRU INMATE): "(Prison) inmates must not look at other inmates' wives
and girlfriends... During the visits, an inmate cannot wear anything that
shows much skin and body hair...shirts must be buttoned up, trousers must
cover the legs...if a man wants to scratch his leg, he must do it in such a
way that the hairs on the leg are not exposed."

(FORMER INMATE): "The worst thing about being a criminal is the moment when
you get someone else's money on your hand, because you know it doesn't feel
right. But then you remember those who depend of you, and then you ask
yourself: why ..."

(FORMER INMATE) "I wanted to take this out of my face (the ski mask), show
my face to the world. Unfortunately, I can't do it. I wouldn't live a month
if I showed my face."

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Looking forward to any reply.

Guilherme Kujawski
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