NEIRIN JONES

This is Batebola

BFI London Film Festival / Boiler Room 4:3

Boiler Room 4:3 writes:

“On the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro during its world famous Carnival, far from the beach and the touristic clichés, there is an explosive contest between neighbourhoods. This old form of carnival features teams of futuristic gladiators that are a surreal mixture of play and menace. A tradition that has its roots in ancient European carnival traditions and in African rituals, they look like visitors from another planet.

The associated violence over the years has earned the festivities a sinister reputation in the mainstream media. Largely feared and misunderstood, there has been very little documented over the years about this cultural gem and it remains largely unknown outside of the neglected urban peripheries and favelas of Rio de Janeiro. But this is the moment when those who feel marginalised the and ignored the rest of the year get to feel like stars. It is a chance for the invisible to become visible.

A love letter to Brazil, in all of its beauty and all of its pain, 'This is Bate Bola' is a joyous celebration and battle cry from the heart of Rio's forgotten neighbourhoods. This is the Rio Carnival that you have never seen before.

Directed by Ben Holman & Neirin Jones”

‘This is Batebola’ festival official selections to date:

The Good Fight

Tribecca Film Festival / Cameraimage / The Guardian.

The Guardian writes:

“After Alan Duarte lost nine of his male relatives to violence, he set up a boxing academy to help young people develop their potential. His work is now the subject of an award-winning documentary by British filmmakers, The Good Fight .

The men in Alan Duarte’s family do not die from natural causes. Gun violence in the favela complex of Alemão, Rio de Janeiro, has claimed the lives of 10 close male relatives. After the death of his brother, Jackson, Duarte decided to fight back.

Now the story of Duarte’s fight to forge a better future for his community is the subject of a 16-minute documentary entitled The Good Fight that has been grabbing attention at film festivals worldwide, winning a string of awards including the 2017 best documentary short prize at the prestigious Tribeca festival in New York.

For British filmmakers Ben Holman and Neirin Jones, what began as a favour to promote a friend’s non-profit organisation has evolved into an international success that has attracted a small army of supporters dedicated to helping Duarte expand his project. Filming over six months, the two-man crew encountered frequent interruptions because of downpours and sporadic shootouts. “Though what we faced to make the film is nothing compared to what the residents face on a daily basis,” says Jones.”

‘The Good Fight’ festival official selections to date:

Xarpi

Dazed Feature + review.

Dazed writes:

“The film about the graff kids who tagged Rio’s iconic statue.

Breno Moreira follows the life of three taggers who sprayed WHEN THE CATS LEAVE, THE RATS COME OUT TO PARTY on Christ The Redeemer.”

XARPI, the short film by Breno Moreira, is an electric snapshot of tagging culture in the city of Rio de Janeiro, one that extends far beyond the scenic beaches, favelas, beautiful bodies, and, inevitably, the notorious Christ statue. It features front and centre, the three taggers responsible for the Christ tag: OriAIDS, Lub, and Sagi, in a loosely fictionalized and heavily stylized, night of tagging.

“Tagging to me means freedom, rebellion. There’s this visual aggression, this dissatisfaction in the way of the drawings, where they are made…I am drawn to that” – Sagi

“I wanted to make XARPI because while tagging culture is a very underground thing, it’s hidden in plain sight,” says Breno Moreira. “Rio de Janeiro is a city that is tagged all over and most people just walk past it and dismiss it as scribbling, random denigration of property, etc. But if you know who’s who, what they stand for, what they’re trying to do…it’s all coded messages. It’s all meaningful. And it’s everywhere. The voiceover, written by Sagi, has this sentiment that I think encapsulates tagging culture really well: namely tagging is a consequence of other social problems.”