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Winner of every major film prize in its home country and selected for over a dozen Festivals worldwide. This hard-hitting documentary parallels the lives of two young men who have chosen very different paths in dealing with the horrifying violence that grips their city.
Helmho is a 21 year old vigilante accused of killing 65 outlaws. Garnize is a musician, 26 years old, a political activist and frontman for Faces Of The Suburbs, a hip-hop crew who preach tolerance and community solidarity. These two residents of the same city are torn between beats and bullets in contributing to the re-establishment of law and order.
The police turn a blind eye to the activities of the vigilantes because they cannot possibly curb drug and gang clashes . The tragedy is that when such a precendent is established, where does street justice stop? In a sickening interview, vigilante members confess to a mass slaying in broad daylight of young men wearing the wrong caps and T-shirts.
"Brazilian youth is the main victim in a crisis that involves escaping through uncontrolled violence. The number of homicides in Brazil's major cities rivals figures of countries at war"—co-director, Paulo Caldas
'Invisible social war manifests itself on the screen. . this is a film of convulsive radical beauty.'— Sao Paulo Daily.