One reason why I haven’t gone backpacking around South America with the same care-free attitude that I had in Europe is because of tales like these. Crowned for Excellence in Cinematography and winner of the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at this past Sundance, Manda Bala (Send a Bullet) is a documentary about tells the story of corruption, power, kidnapping and violence in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Newcomer Jason Kohn directs this brilliant and brutal feature which recently won 2007’s Sundance Grand Jury Prize.
Getting a NYC release on the 17th of this month (with other markets coming soon), Jason Kohn’s doc reads cinematic bullet into the cerebral cortex, a documentary that unflinchingly exploring the cycles of violence that plague Brazil’s upper and lower economic classes in fits of rampant corruption and violent kidnappings. The film chronicles these cycles by utilizing highly personalized stories that reflect the growing truth about Brazil’s huge economic disparities—differences that cause violence on both sides of the spectrum. A frog farm connected to a corrupt politician and one of the most powerful men in Brazil; a kidnapping victim who had both her ears cut off before she was released to her parents; a wealthy plastic surgeon who pioneered the procedure used to reconstruct the ears of kidnapping victims; and a kidnapper who has watched many like him escape the poorest parts of Brazil for the wealthier Sao Paolo, where they terrorize the upper class with kidnappings, theft and murder.
To take a peak at the trailer click on the poster below.
