PUC University, Department of Human Rights/ organised by Valdênia Lanfranchi, lecturer on law

Attendees: PUC teachers and post-doctorate students

Debate speakers: Professor Bader Sawaia, PUC Course leader of the dept of Social Psychology; Professor Aldaíza Sposati, PUC coordinator for the research into Social Security and former minister in the Worker’s Party government under Lula da Silva; Professor Dirce Koga, PUC coordinator for the research on cities

Valdênia Lanfranchi, lecturer on law and human rights activist from Sapopemba

PUC is the most famous private university in Brazil so it was an honour to be invited there by Valdênia from Sapopemba, who teaches law there but is also a practising lawyer. Furthermore, the three main guest speakers are some of the most respected in their fields. Bader said, “the film escapes sensationalist stereotypes” and that the film shows “the humiliation of poverty leaves irreparable scars…Vito, the father, becomes used to the situation and feels impotent to change.” Bader said the film captures themes and ideas that often she and her colleagues try do in five years of research - but only film can get across in such a way to affect the emotions of the audience. Aldaíza said the film “humanises the family, breaking the stereotype that families in the favela are violent. The sweetness in the family, the relationship of the couple and the brother and sister reveal the opposite to what we are used to seeing.” Dirce said we should be - but are not - treating such situations we see in the film, of a family in such precarious conditions, as an emergency. But that the State only acts after a tragedy has occurred. Professor Eunice Favero, coordinator of the Child Research Centre at PUC, said the film should be used for research purposes at PUC. They discussed having cross-department big screening.