Synopsis

For 20 years, a subculture in Brazil has emerged under society’s radar. Favela on Blast tells the stories of sex, love, poverty, and pride for Rio’s marginalized people. They have their own language, style, and heroes. It’s a movie that's fast, heavy, and violent like the city itself. This film is a flash of a few lives of charismatic people that relate to the funk music and a retelling of the subculture itself. Favela on Blast shows the culture surrounding ‘Funk Carioca’, a musical rhythm that mixes the American electronic funk of the 1980’s with the most diverse influences of Brazilian music. It is one of the most interesting musical movements in the world, and it comes from one of the most violent and poorest places too: the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Bombastic rhythms coming from the Miami Bass and loops and samples are united to powerful rap vocal using Brazilian slang. This is music that is designed to be listened to as loud as possible and with high bass pumping through the tropical nights of Rio. Wesley Pentz (Diplo), teamed up with Leandro HBL in 2005 to tell the story of the MC’s, DJ’s, dancers, and cultural producers who have spent their lives in the favela and are creating this vibrant scene. Together, they visited 60 favelas and conducted more than 100 interviews in order to explore the culture that surrounds Funk Carioca. In doing so, they have created a portrait of a subculture that defines the youth of Rio’s dismissed population. It’s music that is crass, dirty, violent, and loud – but regardless, it is the soundtrack of their lives.

Director

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  • Lindro
  • Born in Brazil in 1977, Lindro founded Mosquito Video & Design in 1996 and worked as a creative director. In 1998, he moved to Cuba to study cinematography at a film and TV school. From 2003 to 2006, he worked in the audiovisual department of FABRICA, overseeing creative planning in photography, video, film, and installation art.

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  • Wesley Pentz
  • Wesley Pentz, an American, began his career in electronic music in 2002. He has also lectured on computer, music, and art, and worked as an assistant director and cameraman for music videos. In 2006, he founded Mad Decent LLC, a music, film, multimedia, and record label, and has been active as a DJ in cities worldwide.