Brazil: Life in Rio s biggest favela, DW Documentary

Brazilian favelas are home to migrants and the descendants of slaves. And, they are often located on steep, nearly inaccessible mountain slopes. There are many assumptions that are made about favelas. For example, that theyre controlled by drug gangs, that life expectancy is low, and that the murder rate is high. But whats it really like to live in a favela What do people there need to do to survive Do they have many or any opportunities to move out These are some of the questions explored by reporter Matthias Ebert and his team. He lodges with a family in the Favela Rocinha, in a picturesque setting with a view over the beaches of Rio. He meets Bianca, who keeps her head above water with a patchwork of shortterm jobs. He meets some of the people controlling the favela. Matthias Ebert cant reveal their identity. He also meets members of a church, and finds that a new power is emerging in the slums: evangelical Christians wielding their religion as a solution to all problems.