Rio Breaks, 2009.
Directed by Justin Mitchell.
SYNOPSIS:
Two best friends look to escape the poverty and violence of the slums of Rio de Janeiro by taking to the waves with dreams of becoming professional surfers.
First of all, I should probably confess that I have very little knowledge about surfing and my familiarity with the ‘surf film’ pretty much extends to Big Wednesday and Point Break (oh, and Surf’s Up). So, for any surfer dudes (or whatever you call yourselves) reading this review, I’m afraid I all can offer in terms of the surfing aspect of Justin Mitchell’s documentary Rio Breaks is to say that there are big waves, people ride along them and occasionally someone will pull of a flip or turn. If that kind of footage appeals to you, then there’s plenty on offer in Rio Breaks, in addition to interview segments featuring a few Brazilian pro surfers who you might be familiar with. I wasn’t, and while the surfing sequences were well put together, I soon started to find them all a little repetitive.
Fortunately, the whole surfing aspect of Rio Breaks merely acts as the MacGuffin to an interesting story about hope and aspirations in a city where survival is an achievement in itself. As anyone who’s seen the likes of City of God, City of Men, Elite Squad or any of the wave of recent Brazilian favela films will testify, behind the beautiful façade of Rio de Janeiro is an enormous slum that makes South Central look like the Hollywood Hills. Ravaged by crime and poverty, the favelas are controlled by ruthless gangs whose ranks are filled with youngsters waiting to become cannon fodder in the war between the police and the heavily-armed ‘soldiers’ of the drug trade. Sadly, as Rio Breaks shows, it appears that this cinematic account of life in the slums isn’t all that far from the truth.
Rather than focussing on the desperateness of the situation, Mitchell’s documentary sets out to explore the vibrant surf community of Rio’s Arpoador Beach. Here, an increasing number of street kids are turning to the sport with aspirations of making it as pro-surfers and escaping the hardship of the favela. Among these are Rio Breaks’ two central figures, 13-year-old Fabio and 12-year-old Naama, both of whom the find the lure of professional sponsorship greater than that that of the violent life offered by the drug trade. Together, Fabio and Naama discover a sense of belonging as part of the Favela Surf Club, from which they look to embark upon their first steps towards a better future.
It’s depressing that the majority of the kids featured in Rio Breaks will never achieve their dreams of gaining sponsorship and it’s even more depressing to think that some may have already fallen victim to the city’s drug war. However, those that do succeed will no doubt inspire countless others to follow in their footsteps, and it’s this kind of hope that gives Rio Breaks a refreshing tone next to the typically-downbeat offerings of ‘favela cinema’. It’s also got a cracking samba soundtrack – and enough bikini-clad Brazilian beach babes to satisfy anyone who thinks a Chinese Wax Job might come with a happy ending – making for a solid documentary overall.
Gary Collinson (follow me on Twitter)
Originally published October 3, 2011. Updated April 12, 2018.
