Brazil: Life in a Favela

Film info

Film summary

Meet the inhabitants of Rocinha, one of Brazil's biggest slums. How does living in informal housing, with little infrastructure, affect them?

Key facts

• Rocinha, in Rio de Janeiro, is Brazil's biggest favela – a slum or informal settlement – and is home to 200,000 people.
• The conditions in Rocinha are cramped, and a lack of infrastructure, such as sewerage and refuse collection, means that disease spreads quickly.
• Drugs, guns and gangs are rife in Rocinha, as stressful conditions lead to social instability and poverty.
• Despite its problems, there is a strong sense of community amongst Rocinha's residents, as they work together to improve facilities and break the cycle of poverty.