Favela Frontlines

In this war, there are no winners.

Through personal stories from people on both sides of the conflict and powerful footage, ‘Favela Frontlines’ takes you straight to the heart of the battle between police and drug traffickers in Brazil. On average, one policeman is killed every two days. There are 60,000 homicides every year.

Interspersed with the stories are interviews with judges, journalists, slum residents and historians. They reflect on Brazil’s public safety policy of the past three decades, the impact of social inequality and the legacy of slavery. As sociologist Luiz Eduardo Soares explains: “Police brutality wouldn’t exist without tacit society authorisation.”

For one gang member, it’s very simple. “When I was 10, they slapped me in the face. Now I carry a rifle. Now you can’t slap me in the face.”