On the street (Olho da Rua) /
Street life in Rio de Janeiro is astoundingly varied. There are more ways to earn a living than any North American can imagine. In this colorful film, Sergio Bloch, who has a special affinity for recording the pulse of urban life in his native Brazil, presents a variety of performers, vendors and sp...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Video |
| Language: | Portuguese |
| Language Notes: | This edition in Portuguese with English subtitles. |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
Filmakers Library,
2006.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to this streaming video (Alexander Street Press) |
| Summary: | Street life in Rio de Janeiro is astoundingly varied. There are more ways to earn a living than any North American can imagine. In this colorful film, Sergio Bloch, who has a special affinity for recording the pulse of urban life in his native Brazil, presents a variety of performers, vendors and special artisans. The film begins with a knife grinder, who not only sharpens tools, but plays Happy Birthday on his grinding wheel to attract customers. There is an animal trainer whose dogs perform tricks, a street photographer who really wanted to be a student, a herbalist who forages within city limits for plants that bring the Amazon to a city square. Some of the physical stunts are amazing: a one-legged soccer acrobat, jugglers who have 50 seconds at traffic lights for their acts. These and many others tell how they came to earn their livelihood in these unique ways--some are the third generation in their trade, others fell on hard times and needed work. These are not street people as we know them here--they are people who use public spaces as their studios, workshops, stages, offices and food centers. For anthropology and Latin American studies here is glimpse into the unique life of a sprawling metropolis with roots in the past. |
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| Item Description: | Originally released as DVD. Title from resource description page (viewed May 24, 2011). Slide. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (58 min.). |
| Audience: | For College; Adult audiences. |
| Awards: | Bilan du Film Ethnographique, Paris, 2002 IDFA/International Documentary Festival, Amsterdam, 2002 International Documentary Festival, Brazil, 2002 |