THE PRISONER OF THE IRON BARS (SELF-PORTRAITS)
O PRISIONEIRO DA GRADE DE FERRO (AUTO-RETRATOS)
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| Direction: |
Paulo Sacramento
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| Cinematography: |
Aloysio Ramalho
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| Editing: |
Ide Lacreta, Paulo Sacramento
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| Sound: |
Marcio Jacovani, Luis Robin
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| Producer: |
Gustavo Steinberg, Paulo Sacramento
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| Production: |
Olhos de Cao Producoes
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35mm
Colour 123'
Brazil, 2003
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The Carandiru prison in Sao Paulo is the largest penitentiary in the Latin America. In 1992, 111 detainees were killed in clashes with the police in what was later labeled the "Carandiru massacre". This documentary was compiled from images made over a year by a crew of professional filmmakers and also by the prisoners themselves. Through a series of self-portraits, the inmates aim to show what prison daily life is like. Like most prisons in Brazil, Carandiru is more than filled to capacity, and the hygiene and medical care are grossly inadequate. The law of the jungle rules, and if one wants to survive one must be armed. And yet, there is also hope and camaraderie. We watch the inmates as they make music, practice sports, make drawings and murals, in an effort to make their lives a little more pleasant...
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