Interesting without being entirely gripping. This documentary follows two favela dwelling kids who take to the beautiful beaches of Rio to escape the harsh realities of the slums they live in.
Depressing but with glimmers of optimism, the favelas are always a place for intriguing stories with characters ranging from drug dealers to ordinary children caught up in the violence and struggles of everyday life.
Rio Breaks tells the story of two kids who choose to surf as opposed to earning money working for the slum lords who deal drugs in their favelas. As engaging as the kids' stories, are the other characters, particularly the adults who encourage the kids to keep surfing and to stay in school in order to break away from the inevitability of their young lives being turned into short, crime-led existences.
The structure lets the film down, but the use of cinematography is often beautiful and the central characters are hugely engaging. Like Hoop Dreams, the film takes us through the trials of two young men who have a crossroads before them and big decisions to make that could affect the rest of their lives.
If you've seen City of God or City of Men and want to learn more about kids from the favelas, check out this real slice of life. No guns, drug deals or shootouts. Just two kids caught between the favelas and the ocean.
Depressing but with glimmers of optimism, the favelas are always a place for intriguing stories with characters ranging from drug dealers to ordinary children caught up in the violence and struggles of everyday life.
Rio Breaks tells the story of two kids who choose to surf as opposed to earning money working for the slum lords who deal drugs in their favelas. As engaging as the kids' stories, are the other characters, particularly the adults who encourage the kids to keep surfing and to stay in school in order to break away from the inevitability of their young lives being turned into short, crime-led existences.
The structure lets the film down, but the use of cinematography is often beautiful and the central characters are hugely engaging. Like Hoop Dreams, the film takes us through the trials of two young men who have a crossroads before them and big decisions to make that could affect the rest of their lives.
If you've seen City of God or City of Men and want to learn more about kids from the favelas, check out this real slice of life. No guns, drug deals or shootouts. Just two kids caught between the favelas and the ocean.