Inside the Mind of Favela Funk

Those who listen to favela funk without knowing Portuguese mainly hear swinging music. But those who do know it hear – especially in the ‘putaria’ variety – explicit, misogynistic lyrics about sex. This male-dominated style enjoys a huge popularity in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. But why? What do these downright pornographic lyrics say about male-female relations? And what does this musical trend mean for love and relationships in these neighbourhoods?
The filmmakers interviewed the (both male and female) artists as well as young boys and girls about the controversial putaria funk. Their open-hearted answers shed light on their relationships and reveal a lot about these underprivileged districts, where people grow up in poverty, surrounded by drug-related violence and death. In between the interviews, the camera films the typical narrow alleyways and dark living quarters that add visual emphasis to the stories the young people tell about their tough lives.

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