Imagining Tavares Bastos Part 2

We had class outside today, in the park that runs along side the commercial center of Tavares Bastos—the park with the phenomenal view of Pão de Azucar, of the bay, and of the city below. As class was ending, more and more kids were showing up, coming back home after school or other activities. Soon, we had about 20 kids with us, in that park, sitting at two different tables playing UNO. I thought to myself—what would it be like to grow up in a community like this? A small, safe, quiet place where everyone knows each other, and there are public spaces for kids to congregate and play together whenever they want? To live this kind of life right in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world? I can’t even imagine…

This afternoon was, for me, the first time I really felt what it’s like to live in Tavares Bastos. This is what the girls were trying to communicate to me when they drew their storyboard last week. This is what all of the kids have been hoping to capture in their home videos. They feel safe and at peace in this community—there is time to appreciate their grandmothers’ cooking, their cousins’ dancing, the festas juninas on the weekends, the bread in the bakery, and their time at church. This is the reason to be grateful for the added peace of mind provided by the BOPE station perched above the small patch of land occupied by Tavares Bastos. This is the kind of security Cacau—one of the community leaders—hoped to ensure when he planted a forest-wall around the neighborhood more than ten years ago.
These kids live the joy of being young, being safe, being active, and being part of families in a community that means a great deal to them. This is what they’ve been filming over these few weeks. Now I see it!

My favorite part of today was the moment when I asked each of the girls to explain what she learned that day. For about two hours, Thiago had walked them through the process of filming a single scene with two different cameras recording from two different points of view. The girls chose roles for themselves, including director, assistant director, DP, and actor. Thiago, of course, was the producer. In these two hours, they framed the shots, planned the action, and managed to film a scene with two cameras recording simultaneously. In the end, they were proud of what they had accomplished—they felt that they had really taken advantage of the time they had. More importantly, though, they had fun. The short video interviews reflect this…

I look forward to the 3-minute short that they produce by the end of July. Participating in the creation of a short film of Tavares Bastos—a small history of this community for these young people and their families can view and keep—will be my gift to these young people that have shared their happiness with me.

Christine Newkirk
The New School University, New York