I
was really moved by Favela Rising. It was amazing to see someone who
was able to, against all odds, change the world around him. Anderson
saw all the violence around him and started a movement to give kids
an alternative to the drug armies. He was able to show them that
there is more than that one path. He brought the favela's something
rarely seen until then; Joy. Anderson himself used to be a
drug-trafficker before he became a social revolutionary.
While
the organization started out small, slowly it grew. I was excited
when they got the record deal and were able to start spreading their
ideas past the favelas. I, personally, was glad to see an
alternative for the children. Growing up and having to deal with the
constant fear from not only the drug armies, but also the corrupt
police. These corrupt police were only sustaining the violence
because the drug armies were paying them to do that. I found that to
be very sad as no one, especially young children, should have to
experience that kind of life.
As
I said earlier, Anderson brought optimism and joy to the favelas. He
showed them that if you worked hard you could have a far better life
than the lives of the drug armies. I remember in the video when he
was trying to show a boy how being an outlaw is a bad idea. I felt
like the boy wanted to believe what Anderson was saying, but he
probably felt pressured from an older sibling and he kept looking at
the camera. Even his friends were trying to dissuade him from that
lifestyle. I really wanted to know what happened to that boy.
Although
we only watched part of the documentary, I felt like it showed the
power of the performing arts. To be able to use music and dance as a
way to keep children from getting into drug-trafficking is
astounding. Even though he wasn't able to save everyone, he was
still able to make a big change that went further than he could have
ever imagined.
