Garapa

GARA PA borrows its title from the Brazilian termfor the juice of raw sugar cane, which providesa high percentage of the diets of those livingbelow the poverty line in Brazil. With the samefrankness and urgency as he addressed policebrutality and corruption in THE ELITE SQUAD,director José Padhilia now depicts the painfulsubjects of famine, poverty and alcoholismamong Brazil's poorest.

Deliberately working against the audience'saesthetic enjoyment, Padilha does away with allembellishments. Filmed using grainy, blackand-white Super 16 stock and long, unbrokentakes, GARA PA evokes the style of 60's cinemaverité. The camera is a quiet observer, workingin an environment that will not be softened inany way. GARA PA is an important film, able toarouse both feelings of despair and empathy asit speaks of our basal human needs in a shallowand material world.
LAURA PERKINS