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Something in the Air
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A
few years ago in
Melbourne,
there was a theatrical presentation titled Who’s
Afraid of the Working Class?. What is most striking in some recent films from
To
appreciate the heady atmosphere of the Brazilian Something in the Air, one should recall all those American films of
the early ‘80s about breakdancing, pirate radio and street subcultures – and
then add a large dose of radical politics.
Helvecio
Ratton’s film is a genuinely populist tribute to Radio Favela, a pirate station
that operated at the edges of
Belo
Horizonte. Hounded by police and
conservatives while being acclaimed by the United Nations, the small band of
committed activists who run the station are not ideologues, but citizens who
plug into the concerns of their community.
Something in the Air is a simple film, but
its energy and sincerity are infectious. The cast, including Brazilian TV star
Alexandre Moreno, give the story an earthy authenticity.
© Adrian Martin February 2004 |
