View on favela 001
Favelas non-planned extensions of big Bra-zilian cities. They are populated by people that leave their home-countries, towns and villages in order to find work and a better life in the city. Eventually they end up homeless and make their homes in favelas out of disposable materials that they find on the streets. Living circumstances in favelas are — as far as I know — extremely poor, dense and dangerous, both because of of lacking medical infrastructure, little employment and a vital crime scene.
In the western world however, favelas are also connotated with hipness, as seen in a club in Paris called “favela chic”, a famous design chair called “favela” and the copied esthetics in various architectural studies.
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C.H. Designer, 35 years, Belgium
View on favela 002
Favela? Brazilian townships, with a strong and violent culture. National Justice and police have been replaced by local laws and leaders. Without their permission change will not likely take place. But also their criminals are being punished, it is not lawless. As for the rest staying out of trouble will probably result in ‘normal’ life. Getting out of the favelas may be difficult, but the wish to change live is probably strong by inhabitants, thus life in favelas might be very exciting. filled with a lot of positive energy also.
How I get this image. Lot of it has to do with media obviously, but also art projects that take place and give positive feedback on the favelas. As well as my own expectations and hope regarding the favelas. I wish to look at it, as the energetic innercities of South African cities, especially Johannesburg, and former Berlin. In cities like these people want to change their lives and that results in a vibrating culture. The ‘maakbaarheid’ as we call it.
The meetings with these cities and its in-habitants have proven to me, that media generated images are too often a focus on bad news.
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R.A. Graphic Designer, 36 years, The Nether-lands
View on favela 003
I have never been to a favela or Brazil. My reference point would be the streets of Mumbai.
A friend of mine there told me not to walk on the sideways. He considered that rude, because I was invading the ‘sleeping place’ of the people. Downstairs our hotel there was a family living on the street. The father had a serious drug problem. They looked dirty and pretty wild. They had several children. The youngest was a baby. I wondered how the heck they had found the privacy the make all those children and why they made them in the first place, as it was obvious they absolutely had no bright future to offer their children.
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L.D. Head of Research University College of Art, 36 years, Belgium
View on favela 004
Mijn eerste gedacht is een achterbuurt van een Zuid-Amerikaanse stad.
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J.C. Teacher, 61 years, Belgium
View on favela 005
Voor mij zijn de favelas stenen wijken tot golfplaten wijken, op heuvels rond de stad. Beeld gevormd van films a la ‘Cidade de Deus’ en van bezoeken aan favelas in Lima. De mensen zijn van blank tot zwart, zonder kansen vaak, zonder iets te verliezen, zonder veel toekomstplannen en vaak slachtoffer van ge-weld.
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L.DM. Shop Manager, 28 years, Belgium
View on favela 006
The image I have of favelas is mainly made up by the things I see on TV and read in the newspapers, and by information I get through work. I think of violence, drugs and gang-related criminality, but also of vibrant life in the streets, solidarity between the inhabitants and a lot of atmosphere.
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K.VB. Development worker, 30 years, Burundi
View on favela 007
Voor mij is het ruimtelijk beeld van een favela een concentratie van zeer rudimentaire woningen, zonder enige structuur gebouwd (op/naast/onder elkaar daar waar nog een plekje over was….), gescheiden van elkaar door zeer enge straatjes, (die mij ‘s avonds en ‘s nachts trouwens zeer eng lijken). Favelas zijn vaak op een helling gebouwd (of dit beeld geven ze altijd). Vermoedelijk zal de elektrici-teitsvoorziening, sanitair ed zeer beperkt ontwikkeld zijn. In tegenstelling tot bvb. ‘townships’ in Zuid-Afrika die vaak buiten de stad zijn ingeplant (andere historische ontwikkeling) en strikt gestructureerd werden, bevinden de favelas zich in centrale zones van de stad, temidden van andere meer gegoede of gewone stads/volkswijken. De ingang van een favela kan er zeer plots zijn zonder enige fysiek merkbare overgang. Ze zijn ontstaan als een informele nederzetting? Ik weet niet of de mensen überhaupt een adres hebben, post kunnen ontvangen op een eigen adres? Het sociaal/economisch/maatschappelijk beeld dat ik van een favela heb is dat van een zone dat geterroriseerd wordt door de drugshandel en een aantal drugbarons. Zij houden de boel in de gaten en in toom. Het is een klein eiland waar een autonoom heerschappij heerst. Zij zijn op de hoogte van het doen en laten van iedereen zolang je hen niet tegen de schenen schopt wordt er u ook niets gedaan… Tenzij je toevallig dingen ziet of rondwandelt op het verkeerde moment of op de verkeerde plaats… een sfeer kan vlug omslaan. Daartussen verloopt voor heel wat bewoners een gewoon leven (school-werken-projecten gestimuleerd uit de NGO werking-café-winkels…) maar toch wel wat met minder toekomstperspectieven…. Het beeld van de favelabewoners dat ik heb, buiten dat van de drugsbende, is dat van een gewone Braziliaanse burger, de man/vrouw die in een hotel werkt, met de taxi rijdt, en die gewoon niet over de sociaal economische middelen beschikt om zich elders te vestigen om zich van die favela stempel te ontdoen. mensen die kunnen weggaan, geld hebben om zich in een betere buurt — een betere woning aan te schaffen, gaan weg — volgens mij (een favela lijkt me niet een plek waar je zelf voor kiest om te wonen, misschien zijn hier wel uitzonderingen). Volgens mij hebben die men-sen ook heel wat overlevingsskills ontwikkeld… Ik beeld me er direct al veel bezorgde moeders bij die niet wille dat hun zoon/dochter het verkeerde pad kiezen….
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E.D. Urbanist, 31 years, Belgium
View on favela 008
Rio’s favelas are the flip side of a city with a thousand faces. In itself, both, warm and cool. Cosy and rude. Logical and complicated.
My image was shaped after having worked there as a volunteer for 10 months.
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E.L. Lawyer, 34 years, Belgium
View on favela 009
I feel diversely about the favelas, of course there is the image of the drug-dealing & gunswinging gangs that are in power there and in this way bring violence and drugs very close to their neighbors who have not chosen this path and are struggling hard to survive. On the other hand this is only an image that I mainly got through television and series like Cidade de Deus. I am sure there is some truth to this, but I am sure there is another truth, one of a simple life, a life that I don’t know wether to envy or feel pity for… I guess I will have to go and see for myself…
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G.DP. Belgium
View on favela 010
De échte wijken van Rio, waar je niet in gevangenis leeft als in de reguliere wijken van Rio, maar waar je goed de regels moet kennen en in de lijn moet lopen van drugscommando’s of milities die er de plak zwaaien, om te overleven. Buiten de wijk discriminatie, binnen de wijk geweld, maar ook veel plezier, kwetteren, roddelen en veel lachen. Humor, vlijmscherp, gitzwart en gevuld van Braziliaanse weemoed en hier en daar een tikje zelf-beklag, maar mensen o zoo sterk.
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F.M. Student, 24 years, Belgium
View on favela 011
Voordat ik jou had gesproken zei de favela me helemaal niets. Ik had er geen beeld bij. Het woord sloppenwijk zegt me meer.
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M.H. Graphic Designer, 36 years, The Nether-lands
View on favela 012
I’ve formed the image by visiting favelas a few times, in Lima, Lisbon, Manilla, Belo Horizonte and Rio. Although every favela looks the same, there are a lot of differences. There are dangerous favelas where there is a lot of drug traffic and favelas that are more like poor neighborhoods without a lot of violence.
In general, my image of “a favela” is small houses with very narrow streets, stairs, a lot of noise and movement, a lot of children playing in the streets, poor electricity, laundry hanging between the houses, very little shops, people live on the street as there is not a lot of space in their house. Some children go to school, some women work as a housemaid in a house at 2 hours by bus. People are black, migrants from the northeast of the country.
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A.M. Program officer VIC ong Brazil & Philippines, 31 years, Belgium
View on favela 013
Rauwheid ten top! Berghellingen bekleed met brakke huisjes/ hutten, smalle steegjes en trappen. Bewoond door arme mensen en overheerst door bendes. Overleven in een soort ‘storthoop-stad’, waar gunshots worden gelost, drugs wordt verhandeld en geconsumeerd, waar gedanst word met mooie, schuddende billen in de brandende zon. Adrenaline…
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M.K. Fashion Designer, 28 years, The Nether-lands
View on favela 014
poverty
drugs
criminality
gangs
city of god
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P.VH. Chain & Distribution Manager, 32 years, Belgium
View on favela 015
Voor mij is een favela in de eerste plaats een warme plek, waar buren elkaar kennen en de gemeenschap echt samenleeft. Helaas worden ze soms geteisterd door een criminele min-derheid en wordt hun stem niet altijd gehoord zoals het zou moeten. Mijn beeld van de favelas is duidelijker geworden door vijf maanden ontwikkelingswerk te doen in Rio de Janeiro.
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L.C. Communication Assistent, 26 years, Belgium
View on favela 016
Action, soccer, music, social, color, mixity, smelly, young…
And also… hard, dense, dirty, poor, violent…
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S.T. Architect, 35 years, Belgium
View on favela 017
Luchtfoto’s met contrast tussen georganiseerde daken van de stad en termieten-constructies die er zijn tegengeplakt, onmogelijke straatjes en steegjes, afgetrapte teenslippers, vuile kin-dergezichten, knokige knieën, drugsdealers, wapens, bang zijn, achtervolgingsscènes doorheen open riolen en waslijnen en voor- en achterdeuren, moeders die geurige potjes stoven met lucht en water, cash geld en smokkelwaar verstopt onder gescheurde kleren, de wet van de straat, ‘Robocop Cops’, het levensbelang van familie-connecties, vrienden van vrienden, onge-schreven wetten, weder-zijdse hulp en bijstand, behelpen en noodgedwongen vindingrijkheid, spontane feesten, gastvrijheid.
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S.VB. 32 years, Belgium
View on favela 018
Favelas are places where people, who are unable to pay rent, live.
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S.R. Film maker, 65 years, São Paulo
View on favela 019
De échte wijken van Rio, waar je niet in gevangenis leeft als in de reguliere wijken van Rio, maar waar je goed de regels moet kennen en in de lijn moet lopen van drugscommando’s of milities die er de plak zwaaien, om te overleven. buiten de wijk discriminatie, binnen de wijk geweld, maar ook veel plezier, kwetteren, roddelen en veel lachen. humor, vlijmscherp, gitzwart en gevuld van Brazi-liaanse weemoed en hier en daar een tikje zelfbeklag, maar mensen o zoo sterk.
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F.M. Student, 24 years, Belgium
View on favela 020
organic architecture
vibrant
urban jungle
closely knit
dynamic
al
ways under construction
separated / integrated
hard to enter
micro economies
informal
a lot of small fish make one big fish
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T.L. Designer, 30 years, Belgium
View on favela 021
Favelas are slums. There are slums everywhere, in the entire world. In Bombay, for instance, they find themselves along the city streets. In Rio they are built along the mountains. Since they are badly built, without any foundation, when there are big rains, like just happened, the houses fall down, there are mudslides, and hundreds of people die. There are slums in the entire world. In Belgium the new tendency, when people can no longer pay their rent, is for them to squat unoccupied buildings. There are slums in Brussels, where I live — areas where the housing is unhealthy, where too many people live in too little space, in houses that are falling apart. In these areas, like in Brazil, there is violence, and people revolt once in a while.
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S.R. Artist, 65 years, Belgium
View on favela 022
“Favela”, in Brazilian portuguese, means slum, shanty town. The inhabitants of favelas are people too poor to pay rents, and who build their own houses. The favelas become neighborhoods, as more and more people congregate in the same areas. In Rio de Janeiro the favelas are built on the mountains surrounding the city. Since they are badly built, without any foundation, when there are big rains, like just happened, the houses fall down, there are mudslides, and hundreds of people die.
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R.R. Artist, 65 years, Belgium
View on favela 023
About 15 minutes away from paradise. An urban jungle for the poor, not the poorest, where dreams of a better, wealthier life wander along with the street dogs in a labyrinth of steep mud covered alleys. Options are limited and blinded by the fame and fortune of the rich and famous on display in the media it is hard to find the right(ious) exit. But we never know, the shadow cities of today might be the cities of the future.
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F.D. Graphic Designer, 29 years, Belgium
View on favela 024
J’ai deux vues des favelas : Une vue d’au dessus, vue depuis un buiding où je logeais pour un temps à Rio. Avec des bruits, des coups de feu, de la musique … un grouillement de gens. Une vue de dessous quand j’ai grimpé la montagne d’une autre favelas de Rio, la vue vers le haut, les pierres, les maisons qui s’enchevêtrent … les impasses … et aussi les coups de feu tirés et la cachette trouvée rapidement pour se protéger d’une éventuelle balle perdue. Enfin une vue vivante… des gens qui y vivent qui bossent, qui rient, qui pleurent … avec un confort de vie réduit à quasi rien.
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V.B. Photographer, 36 years, Belgium
View on favela 025
1998, my first flight oversee, staying for one month in Rio de Janeiro. Astonished by a horizon packaged full of tiny shacks it was esthetic enthusiasm from a bird’s eye view. Two weeks later at the backseat of a packed local bus visiting Fla-Flu, I felt like being cached in the belly of a Brazilian. In this pluralistic city moving from one scene to another, you learn to live with the sharp contrast of life. Referring to an old resident who synthesizes the soul of a favela: ‘work, religion, soccer, samba, friendship, and more… the simplicity, humor and pleasure of telling a tough life with the suffering diluted by hope — hope that things will improve because it can’t get any worse’.
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T.L. Graphic Designer, Art Director & Anthropologist, The Netherlands
View on favela 026
The movie “Cidade de Deus” shaped my view on Brazilian favelas: Bright colors and heavy smells, a lot of street kids without education, lot’s of guns and violence. A ‘survival of the fittest’ atmosphere.
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T.J. Art director, 36 years, Belgium
View on favela 027
Poverty, bright colors, football with bare feet, mestizos, round women, drug trade, crime, gangs, violence, hot, loud music, ingenuity.
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YS.D. Graphic Designer, 36 years, Belgium
View on favela 028
Actually, I have to say that I am not very familiar with Brazilian favelas, because I have never experienced one in person. All my knowledge about favelas is shaped solely by what I read, by what I saw on photographs and in various documentaries. While I associate Brazilian favelas (as well as the other slum “cities” of India, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Mexico, Egypt, Kenya, Ghana where over 900 million people of world population live) with extreme poverty transferred from the country to the city as the result of unequal distribution of wealth, which basically created those over-populated and heavy problematic city slum areas, with lack of basic infrastructure and public services, with residents that are classed as slum dwellers, living on very low-income, practically without any security and education, cited for organized crime, violence, murder, prostitution, mafia, narco-trafficking etc., working for the wealthy ones, I also associate Brazilian favelas with being today one very exotic “off the beaten track” adventurous tourist attraction on the steep hillsides that rise above Rio’s famous beaches. I associate it also as a very recognizable source of popular culture and arts, as place of origin of samba music and samba performers. I associate it with “The Girl From Ipanema”, as cradle of world known Brazilian soccer talents, as place of exuberant and reckless carnival and other festivities. All in all as one very special recognizable community for which I sincerely believe, that’s not as poor as one usually would perceive. As a community that today, despite serious issues, may be more open then ever to the possibility of change.
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Z.B. Graphic Designer, 65 years, Croatia
View on favela 029
termieten heuvel
overbevolking
armoede
toren van Babel
weg
vluchten
warm en vochtig
intense geuren
autobanden
gauwdieven
falafel (enkel vanwege de woordgelijkings :-)
Hoe deze beelden gevormd zijn is veel te veel om op te noemen. Maar daaronder zitten zeker de media in het algemeen; pers, film, muziek, beeld, zoekmachines, …
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B.V. Digital Designer, 37 years, Belgium
View on favela 030
Who wants to live in such life conditions? Why don’t they escape? Is it a habit? It always sounded me as surrealistic reality. When you live in a war condition no rules or laws are respected. If you don’t have main precondition to live in piece you can not develop. It seems to me that they (government and citizen) don’t want to solve this war, why? The same reason that man attacks another man, disrespecting his personal and spatial boundaries.
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B.S. Architect, 35 years, Croatia
View on favela 031
Als ik denk aan favelas, krijg ik een beeld voor ogen, gezien vanop een afstand, nooit van binnenin. Allemaal blokjes naast elkaar, een wirwar van golfplaten daken en kleine steegjes, zonder groen maar met zand en stof. Veel keuren wel, en heel veel gezellig lawaai. Mensen buiten, hoge sociale controle. Kinderen die rondrennen en big mama’s die hun stukje grond proper vegen. Stof dat in het rond vliegt. En ‘s avonds mannen die thuis komen. Survival of the fittest. Na jou gehoord te hebben, vermoed ik dat ik er naast zit. Ik hoop het. Ik geloof dat mijn beeld iets te filmisch is.
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E.A. Bookings, 31 years, Belgium
View on favela 032
Sommige favelas in Brazilië zijn allang niet meer het toonbeeld van armoede zoals wij denken. Er zijn scholen, community centers, elektriciteit en stromend water. Kinderen dromen ervan om voetballer te worden, of zangeres. Zo ook een goede vriend van mij, Dodô, had een droom, namelijk studeren in Europa, en het liefst in Nederland. Maar hoe doe je dat zonder financiële middelen? Dodô groeide op in één van de favelas in Fortaleza. Samen met zijn 10 broertjes en zusjes sliepen ze in hangmatten naast elkaar, meer ruimte was er niet. Dodô wilde andere kinderen om zich heen inspireren, hij zag dat het met een aantal niet goed ging. Ze belandden in de criminaliteit en raakten verslaafd aan drugs. Als enige kind uit hun gezin ging Dodô naar de universiteit en studeerde daar sport & beweging. Zijn doorzettingsvermogen en positieve instelling bezorgde hem een baantje bij ARCA, een stichting die kinderen in de favelas uit de criminaliteit probeert te houden door sport en spel activiteiten aan te bieden. Dodô gaf hen surfles en spoorde ze aan Engels te leren. Steeds meer jonge jongens en meisjes uit de favelas waar hij vaak kwam, werden enthousiast om te strijden voor goed onderwijs en ontwikkeling. Zij leerden Engels van toeristen en in ruil daarvoor gaven zij hen surfles. Een goede deal waar beiden, arm en ‘rijk’, van leerden. Na jaren hard werken en zijn eigen studie af gemaakt te hebben aan de universiteit in Brazilië, kreeg Dodô de kans zijn droom waar te maken. Met hulp van ARCA in Brazilië, de stichting Todos in Nederland en van alle Nederlandse bezoekers die zijn werk en inspanning hebben mogen meemaken, is Dodô een half jaar gaan studeren aan de Academie voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding. Nog nooit was hij buiten Brazilië geweest, nog nooit had hij in een vliegtuig gezeten. Zijn tijd in Nederland zal hij nooit meer vergeten, een ervaring die hij door verhalen en beelden overbrengt aan kinderen in zijn eigen land. Om hen te laten zien dat als je echt wilt, je je kunt losmaken van een uitzichtloos bestaan. Sport brengt mensen bij elkaar, dat heeft hij zelf kunnen ervaren.
Ik hoop dat de olympische spelen en het WK Brazilië en de mensen in de favelas veel goeds zal brengen en hen de mogelijkheid geeft niet meer bang te hoeven zijn voor geweld dat nog altijd op de loer ligt. In sommige favelas erger dan andere. Brazilië kan aan de wereld laten zien wat voor een veelzijdige en rijke cultuur zij heeft. Beelden zeggen meer dan woorden, daarom is het ook zo leuk dat deze Belgische deze kinderen creatief met beeld leert omgaan om zo hun dromen en hun werkelijkheid uit te kunnen drukken.
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R.L. Communication Assistent, 28 years, The Netherlands
View on favela 033
It was a hot day in Havana when I met José. He was my guide for the afternoon and took me to places where tourists normally don’t go. We had a mojito at a local bar and talked about life in Havana. After that we visited the place where he lives with his family. Two small rooms, no front door, no electricity, water needs to be boiled before you can drink it. José doesn’t have a job. He lives from the money foreigners give him, for guiding them through his neighborhood. I’ve never been to Brazil, but I think being poor is the same in every big city in South America. The people who live in these slums, like José, know how to survive.
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J.V. Programmer, 32 years, Belgium
View on favela 034
As someone who grew up in São Paulo, I had always some sort of image of what a favela was like. This image keeps mutating. Here are some recollections.
My parents’ middle-class home was near some very impoverished social housing but there were no real favelas nearby. Much of my notion was formed through TV news or soaps, or from driving with my parents past the many favelas along the big ‘marginal’ highways that run along the two São Paulo rivers. Thinking back, I guess favelas seemed at first like a bit scary but alien, segregated universes.
I remember news stories about how there were huge sanitation problems but also that fewer cheques bounced in the favelas banks. That there was crime and drug-dealing but also a code of honor, and that all the really good samba music always came from the favelas, especially in Rio.
When I was about ten years old, our live-in maid Ivandete decided to stop working in our home and got married (living-in maids are very, very common in Brasil). She came back a year or so later asking for work again. Her husband couldn’t /wouldn’t get a job, they had been evicted from their place, and he had told her it would be ok to move to a favela. She was horrified at the idea.
Over the years I heard more or more first-hand favela stories, especially from cleaning ladies. They lived very far on the outskirts of town. They had to wake up at 4.00 to be at work at 8.00. One of them had her stove, fridge and other appliances standing on crates because mudslides would often invade her ‘barraco’.
Later I became friends with Jacky, a pretty English girl who was spending a year backpacking through Brasil. She told me she met a guy in a club in Rio, and he took her home to the favela. She said she was treated like a queen and that his place had a gorgeous view to the city, and the most impressive sunrise she’s ever seen.
Since I’ve been in Europe I saw ‘City of God’ which was an odd mix of fantasy and fact, and came across a number of aid, art or design projects of all qualities involving Europeans — which makes the favelas change in my mind all over again.
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R.L. Graphic Designer, 38 years, The Netherlands
View on favela 035
I imagine a Brazilian favela as a composition of (illegal) self-build houses, in the vicinity of great cities, mostly on unused land, such as hillsides. Of course, subject to landslides in bad weather. No sewers, scarce water. A sort of self-organized community, created by rurals without land, seeking to be better off in a city. This image was shaped of various news in the press.
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P.W. Artist-Photographer & Police superintendent, 63 years, Belgium
View on favela 036
At first I have shared the general opinion about favelas: poor living, poor education, cruelties, drugs, rapes, murder, isolation of society, … Since I visited a favela in Rio de Janeiro, I remember the people and their habitat: living in self crafted houses in a closed society, protection with smiles and guns, full of life but common with fear.
A favela is like an ant’s nest: an organically grown physical and social environment. As an outsider I can not understand the order and the hierarchy in its chaos. But in its chaos you can find its beauty.
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M.H. Architect, 27 years, The Netherlands
View on favela 037
Favelas are neighborhoods. Favelas são bairros. Het zijn wijken waar mensen, die geen centen hebben, om huur te betalen, wonen. Er zullen er binnenkort ook in België zijn, als de crisis en de verschil tussen de “haves” en “have nots” zo verder gaat.
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S.R. Art Director, 65 years, Belgium
View on favela 038
La favela, c’est le bruit, de la musique, un coup de feu, des chants, des sirènes … C’est comme un labyrinthe, un dédale de ruelles et des maisons qui s’enchevêtrent. Ce sont des bonnes âmes et des peurs … de l’angoisse. C’est la vie qui sourit Et qui pleure.
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V.B. Photographer, 36 years, Belgium
View on favela 039
My views on favelas may be considered somewhat radical. I feel very strongly about them.
I believe in the architectural transformation of the favela. I think they are medieval-like structures that have to be updated to the modern era. I believe in the Hausmannization of the favela, what Baron (engineer) Haussmann did to Paris in the 1800s… He opened up the city with large boulevards. The state has to enter the favela. Half the problem is social, half is design. The consequence is not just a social problem… It is a problem of sovereignty. When you have places that can’t be governed then you start to become a Colombia and this is a question for the military, not police. This is why I believe military should oversee the architectural transformation of the favelas. I don’t think favela bairro did enough. The money they spent for example to build that silly Niemeyer overpass in front of the Rocinha could have been used to make more radical infrastructure changes WITHIN the favela. Big changes. Not just adding staircases… I’m talking wide roads with sidewalks on both sides, parks for children. Planting trees. Yes people would have to be removed… That they already do and you relocate them within the favela… That I’m all for. I also believe the smaller favelas should be entirely removed and forest restored so that they don’t have a chance to grow out of control during irresponsible governments that take office from time to time. The international press has misrepresented the idea of walls being built around favelas… I’m all for it. The international press speak of segregation. This is false. When you segregate you build a wall between people. When you build a wall around a favela you are protecting a forest from people encroaching upon it. If that’s segregation then I’m all for segregating people from the Tijuca Forest in Rio. The forest must be protected. Brazilians have to start practicing protecting forests and stop building houses geographically risky areas like hillsides and floodplains.
But my perception of the favela is one of madness… It is madness that people can live like that. It is madness that we let these communities get to that point. I also see them (some of them) as birthplaces for great culture, music and interesting dance; much more interesting than most contemporary art manifestations going on in the “asfalto”. But they need social and spacial relief… They need to step out of the mode of violence, the favela facilitates gang culture… This is why the state must open them up and incorporate them into the fabric of the city.
I know Cariocas find my ideas radical. I actually think Cariocas lack the imagination to come up with adequate solutions because they are too tied up in fear, violence and pessimism. Lack of creativity is not the opposite of Creativity. Violence is the opposite of Creativity. Without hope I don’t function.
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R.S. Performer & Designer, 46 years, Rio de Janeiro
View on favela 040
I believe that there is no standard profile of the favela in Brazil. At least in Rio de Janeiro, the impression is that favelas are not homogenous. Depending on factors such as history, location and drug dealing influence, they have completely different characteristics, not only in relation to the organization, but also in relation to the characteristics of people — social, cultural, perspective on life. People who live in the south area, even in favelas, have much easier access to culture that people in the west area, for example. When speaking of urbanization and improvements in the favelas, only a small part of them is favored and usually are located in the wealthiest area of the city. There are favelas so large and expressive in Rio de Janeiro that already have the status of “bairros” and have a well developed infrastructure with major fast food chains, for example. The image normally transmitted to people in films and soup opera is of very poor people, with shacks, and a very hostile and violent environment. I do not think one can generalize this profile. However, I believe the issue of violence is critical for all favelas. Now there is a government effort to pacify the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, forcing the drug dealing to leave, but it is still early to say if it will be a really successful project.
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A.D. Full time MBA student, 34 years, Rio de Janeirow
View on favela 041
Onrecht, kapitalisme, gemiste kansen, kanseloosheid. Hoe kan dit toch bestaan terwijl zo vele miljardairs deze planeet bewonen? Agressie, bendes, onveilig. Voor de omgeving rond de favelas maar ook voor de bewoners zelf. Drugs en nietsontziende verslaving. Tijdens mijn verblijf in Brazilië was ik geshockeerd door de kilometers lange strook favelas als je Salvador binnenrijdt. Eindeloos. De film ‘Cidade de Deus’ heeft ook onuitwisbare indruk gemaakt; alleen twijfel ik hier wel aan de waarheidsgetrouwheid.
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A.VW. Photographer, 35 years, Belgium
View on favela 042
I think there are a lot of poor people, corpses on the floor, shacks. My Portuguese teacher said that her maid couldn’t go to work one day because there were six corpses in her way. She couldn’t walk through them. I just see favelas when I go to Engenhão (a soccer stadium). I’ve also heard about “favela da Rocinha”.
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M.A. Student, 11 years old, Rio de Janeiro
View on favela 043
I imagine a favela as a place were the same kind of day-to-day worries appear as anywhere else — Shit, we are without electricity again
— Oh no, the roof is leaking
— Fuck, our little son doesn’t come home, where is he hanging out?
— Oh no, this boys gang is blocking the entrance of our ‘street’, let’s walk around the block.
— I don’t like the work but it’s true I need the money.
— Potatoes for that price? Where? But in the favela those worries take so much time and energy, that there is no time or energy left for anything else. No time for thinking too much, for instance, and certainly not for studying. It’s a place for handy guys, for fixers, not for day-dreamers.
I also imagine it as a place where basically everything is illegal: the house, the work, the trade, the money that is earned, the electricity connection… No police, no official addresses, no social security, no insurances, no pension… As a result, the law that counts is the law of the strongest, of the men, of the most clever. Whoever is weak, suffers.
But also, the lack of any official social and economic structure opens up possibilities for new, spontaneous social action. For solidarity among family members and friends, for barter, for recycling. People take things in their own hands and that can give a great feeling of satisfaction.
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B.DW. Writer, 37 years, Belgium
View on favela 044
I see ‘favela’ as a place of sharp contrast between the darker and lighter shades of the human condition. A place with not too many choices for them who have to live there, in that way it’s a kind of prison. But also a place where energy is a must and people are hungry for attention and some kind of essential cultural exchange-education-ways to express yourself (I mean, things people carve and being curious for) next to food and shelter. All the images pumped in my head through recent movies / documentaries are mostly of a very violent and brutal ‘gangsta’ nature, depicting favelas as hell on earth for all concerned and a suicide-attempt for every tourist. I think reality is more of a grey nature and not that black and white. I certainly hope so. The fact that i am a music lover the word favela has also a certain nicer ring to it, as birthplace of the more rawer forms of the enormous richness of brazilian music culture and street art which I love.
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W.L. Illustrator, Non-musician and DJ, 38 years, Belgium
View on favela 045
The favela to me seems like a place of huge contrasts. It’s both very poor (material) and rich (cultural). It is at the same time a miserable place (crime, poverty) and a place of joy (music, football). It is a very unsafe place but at the same time home to thousands.
My view on the favelas is shaped by newspaper articles, TV, film and stories of friends that went to Brazil. I never visited Brazil so I don’t know anything first hand. Although I can imagine it somewhat similar to other bidonvilles around the world that I did see myself.
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B.Z. Art Director, 33 years, Belgium
View on favela 046
Although I’ve been to favelas, they are not part of my daily thoughts… Like many people outside Brazil I think the image of a favela comes from the big media like TV, magazines and films. Mostly they are portrayed as being violent, dangerous and poor. A bit like the image we have of slums in India, but then more violent. After my visit this image has changed a bit. I still consider them as being a place to avoid when carrying valuables, but a favela to me now is just a non government controlled, drug lord ruled neighborhood where lower and lower middle class hard working people live a normal life.
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S.D. Employee, 37 years, Belgium
View on favela 047
City of God.
A mash-up place full of hope and despair.
Weapon is your best friend.
Violence your survival kit.
Football is an obvious distraction.
A gift from God for those outlaws
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D.T. Librarian, 38 years, Belgium
View on favela 048
Favelas zijn een afgesloten “stad” of wereld op zichzelf. Het heeft zoiets als een “pretpark” binnenlopen. Ik bedoel buiten merk je niks van wat er binnen gebeurd en omgekeerd. Er zijn leuke en knusse plekjes zoals in iedere stad maar daar tegenover staat het extreme geweld dat plots kan toeslaan en slachtoffers maken. Onbekenden zijn er onbemind en lopen er gevaar beroofd te worden. Onbekenden zullen er dan ook nooit zomaar binnen lopen. Ben je bekend met de bewoners kan je er je gauw thuis voelen mits het geweldrisico erbij te nemen want dat kan ieder ogenblik eender waar opeens toeslaan.
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E.DR. Cook, 48 years, Belgium
View on favela 049
I don’t have an image of the citizen of the favela because I have never been in a favela.
I don’t have a specific image created of the favela. It is a topic which attracts my attention as a politicized and stigmatized space. Films from Radio Favela (Uma onda no Ar) to Cidade de Deus, artistic projects, articles of journalism and even Capoiera, popular carnival, funk parties (ala favela funk) from Brooklyn to Brussels tries to deconstruct or develop a certain image that contributes to the way I talk and think of the word/conecept favela.
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F.VD. Artist, 34 years, Belgium
View on favela 050
The image I have is colorful, big, very poor, informal architecture and big dumps with people on it, searching for valuable things, or objects that they can re-use or sell.
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A.DV. Graphic Designer, 35 years, Belgium