0:00:02 > 0:00:03Contains some strong language.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05With the World Cup and Olympics on the way,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07the whole planet is looking to one city.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10Welcome to Rio!
0:00:10 > 0:00:13CHEERING AND WHISTLES BLOWING
0:00:13 > 0:00:17But you tourists only know one half of our marvellous city.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23Ipanema, Copacabana, caipirinhas and perfectly waxed bodies on the beach.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28We call it the Asphalt, after its neatly-paved roads.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34But the real beating heart of our city is here...
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Rio's famous favelas.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43One in five of us call these shanty towns home and for years
0:00:43 > 0:00:45they've been ruled by drug trafficking gangs.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Now the government are trying to take the favelas over
0:00:49 > 0:00:52in time for our international guests.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57But the favelas belong to us.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03We've created our own way of life, free from government interference,
0:01:03 > 0:01:07where opportunities can be seized and people dare to be different.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Now, we're locked in a battle to preserve our way of life.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Let us take you to favelas where no tour guide has ever been...
0:01:26 > 0:01:29into this hidden world of the hippest culture
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and the greatest parties on the planet.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36The crucible of all that is hot about Rio.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Rio has more than 1,000 favelas.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53They spring up between cracks in the Asphalt,
0:01:53 > 0:01:57clinging to the hillsides, or sprawling along the motorway.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Most of our favelas are controlled not by the government,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06but by these guys...the drug traffickers.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Favelas like this one, Complexo do Alemao.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The guide books will tell you it's a dangerous, no-go area,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18but that's only part of the story.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25130,000 people live here, raising families, holding down jobs,
0:02:25 > 0:02:30and for a dangerous, no-go area it's surprisingly well-organised.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36At the top of the food chain of course are those drug traffickers.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40They make the rules and they punish anyone who breaks them.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43But for just about everything else,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46from family disputes to power supplies,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48there's Carlos.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51You'll find him at the bright green Resident's Association.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12From funerals to sewage, Carlos sorts it out,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16ably assisted by his wife Adriana...when she turns up.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Carlos is the perfect man for this job.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42He was born in this part of Mare, knows everyone,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and until a few years ago,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47was a high-ranking drug trafficker himself.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50So he brings all aspects of the favela together.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55And to top it all off, he's brilliant at it.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10DOGS BARKING
0:04:27 > 0:04:30But living in drug trafficker territory means our days
0:04:30 > 0:04:32are plagued by interruptions.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43LOUD BANG
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Those aren't gunshots you can hear,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58they're fireworks released by our lookouts, warning residents
0:04:58 > 0:05:00and drug traffickers that the police are about.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Carlos and Adriana have three young children and the constant police
0:05:25 > 0:05:28raids make the favela a pretty stressful place to raise them.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12But the favela isn't going to get more peaceful anytime soon.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16The government plan to take control of Mare,
0:06:16 > 0:06:18chasing out the drug traffickers.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22It's a process they call pacification.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29In the months leading up to pacification, the police put
0:06:29 > 0:06:33drug traffickers under pressure with more and more frequent raids.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48You may think no amount of police raids could be worse than
0:06:48 > 0:06:53being ruled by drug traffickers, but it's not that simple.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Un-pacified favela life may not be ideal, but it's ours
0:06:57 > 0:06:58and we're used to it.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03So while we do have drug dealers on the corner, selling
0:07:03 > 0:07:08from little stalls we call bocas, we've grown kind of used to them.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13After all, they're just people with an unusual job.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43But young people round here aren't all into drugs and guns.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Our anti-establishment favela vibe encourages kids to invent new
0:07:47 > 0:07:50styles and start new trends.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53It makes the favela the epicentre of Rio's street culture.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07This is Breguete.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11He's one of the city's hottest young street dancers.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15He lives in an un-pacified favela called Complexo do Lins.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41CHANTING AND SINGING
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Breguete's 22 and a young dad.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48He has two daughters with his girlfriend, Carol.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But there's no room for Carol and the girls to
0:08:52 > 0:08:54live in Breguete's family's shack.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58They can only pop round, like today.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Breguete has a plan.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33He's entered a big dance competition and he's made it into the finals.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36If he wins, the prize money would be enough to build
0:09:36 > 0:09:39his own favela house.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43But preparation for the competition is taking up a lot of his time.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Although the dance competition finals are in the Asphalt,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07all 16 finalists are from Rio's favelas.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10And there's a perfectly good reason for that.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16In the kingdom of the drug traffickers, there are no
0:10:16 > 0:10:21licensing laws, no noise pollution inspectors, and no curfews.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Every weekend there are massive illegal street parties,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28where we dance all night, until dawn...and beyond.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31We call them bailes.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35MUSIC
0:10:39 > 0:10:42If Brazil is the party capital of the world,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45the favelas' bailes are its beating heart.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Forget Copacabana, the favela is the place to be on a Saturday night.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Samba was born in the favela.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00And bailes gave us twerking
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and new dance styles are springing up here all the time.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The baile where Breguete lives is one of the greatest in Rio.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40The speakers are piled high.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42The drinks are on ice.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And the local entrepreneurs are setting out their wares.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Drug dealers included.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03For once, the drug traffickers' weapons are mostly for show.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08Baile night is sacred, the police will never raid the favela
0:12:08 > 0:12:09when the party's in full swing.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The baile is a chance for people to hang out with their mates
0:12:14 > 0:12:15and dance till they drop.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Unless of course, like Breguete's girlfriend,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22you're left at home holding the babies.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01HIGH TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING
0:13:08 > 0:13:12The latest dance craze to sweep the baile is called passinho...
0:13:12 > 0:13:14little step.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16It's a kind of freestyle breakdancing.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22The boys who dance passinho are baile superstars
0:13:22 > 0:13:26and in Lins, Breguete is the undisputed John Travolta.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Like all the best parties, the bailes last all night
0:13:44 > 0:13:46and well into the next day.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49And it's not just the drug dealers who profit from them.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The streets are lined with family businesses.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19COCKEREL CROWS
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Next morning, the police are interrupting again,
0:14:26 > 0:14:28charging into the favela in their armoured tanks,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31which we call "caveirao"...big skull.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Perhaps they're aiming to catch the drug dealers at the boca
0:14:36 > 0:14:37while they're hung-over?
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Guns have only one purpose - firing bullets -
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and bullets don't always find their target.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Everyone knows someone who's been hit by a bala perdida -
0:15:09 > 0:15:11a stray bullet.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And of course the traffickers see the police coming
0:15:27 > 0:15:30a mile off, and just shut up shop till they've gone.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39You think you have a stressful school run...
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It's what keeps Carlos and Adriana awake at night.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Of all the hats he wears, the one Carlos takes most seriously
0:16:08 > 0:16:10is being a dad.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14But he has to squeeze it in between a very demanding job
0:16:14 > 0:16:16and studying for a business degree.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Rio needs our favelas like a body needs a heart.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Just take a closer look, you don't know our names
0:17:52 > 0:17:54but we're the porters at the airport,
0:17:54 > 0:17:58the bellboys in your hotel, the sun hat seller on the beach.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Wherever there's a wealthy area,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05there's a favela next door doing the laundry.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Breguete has just finished his day job as a cleaner
0:18:10 > 0:18:12in the hospital next to his favela.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33But he can't go home or see his daughters -
0:18:33 > 0:18:35he's got a competition to prepare for.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39It's got a big money sponsor, and a win could change his life.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42The whole favela is rooting for him.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:19:33 > 0:19:38Every week, Breguete teaches these kids how to dance passinho,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41but it's not just a dance style, it's a dance-off.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57MUSIC
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Breguete is proof that inside every cleaner could be a star
0:21:33 > 0:21:34waiting to shine.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39If Breguete's dreams can come true, then maybe all of us
0:21:39 > 0:21:40can reach for more.
0:21:42 > 0:21:47He's not just dancing for himself, for his family, for his new home,
0:21:47 > 0:21:50he's carrying the hopes of the whole favela.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35Through all the years the city has been trying to keep us down,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38we've just grown tougher and smarter.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52The Asphaltos are always moaning about their traffic jams.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56But where they see inconvenience, we see opportunity.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Vinicius has been working this stretch of motorway for 20 years.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21And he wouldn't like to work anywhere else.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16Now, you could live most of your life
0:24:16 > 0:24:18without ever leaving the favela.
0:24:19 > 0:24:25Say your prayers, do your nails, relax with a beer and barbecue.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28But you have to admit, the Asphalt gives good beach.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38This weekend, Carlos and Adriana are taking the kids to Ipanema beach
0:24:38 > 0:24:41in the tourist area of the Asphalt.
0:24:45 > 0:24:50Adriana used to live in a favela near here called Vidigal.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53It was one of the first favelas to be pacified,
0:24:53 > 0:24:57and life under government rule is a lot quieter than their home in Mare.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14But Carlos isn't interested in moving to Vidigal.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18He's got deep roots in his corner of Mare, Parque Uniao.
0:25:45 > 0:25:50But Carlos has made one small concession to Adriana's wish to get out of Mare...
0:25:50 > 0:25:51he's bought a car.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55But he hasn't passed his test yet.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29MUSIC: "Tequila" by The Champs
0:26:34 > 0:26:37No parent would choose to raise their children
0:26:37 > 0:26:39surrounded by armed police.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43And in a problem not exactly unique to Brazil,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45young black men are often a target.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54And in the favela, police weapons certainly aren't for show.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09When we see our sons staring down the barrel of a policeman's gun,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11our hearts stand still.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15Heaven knows it's hard being a teenager, wherever you live.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18But for our young men especially, caught between police raids
0:28:18 > 0:28:20and pressure from the drug traffickers,
0:28:20 > 0:28:23a little headspace can be a life saver.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48For such a young man, Breguete's seen a lot.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51His brother was a drug trafficker and was shot dead at 15.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56And a bala perdida, a stray bullet, took his father.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Breguete's trying his hardest to keep everyone happy.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12He's barely seen Carol recently, so tonight he's taking her out.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23He's saved enough money to take her to McDonalds on the Asphalt.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27But he's just heard about an event for the Passinho finalists later tonight.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32Rio has tried everything to try and fix what they see as the problem
0:32:32 > 0:32:34of the favelas.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39They knocked down our houses, tried fencing us in.
0:32:39 > 0:32:44They tried placating us with concrete paths and football pitches.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50And it's not as though we don't need any help.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Most of us won't see our 50th birthday,
0:32:53 > 0:32:56thanks to bullets, disease or drugs.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01But the government's approach to help
0:33:01 > 0:33:03is often a little heavy-handed,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07and they end up back where they started - sending in the troops.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Mare's police operation seem to be stepping up another gear
0:33:17 > 0:33:20and we're all feeling a little jumpy.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24And Adriana's getting closer to convincing Carlos
0:33:24 > 0:33:26to get their family out of there.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23GUNSHOT
0:34:41 > 0:34:43SPORADIC GUNFIRE
0:35:23 > 0:35:26The frequent police raids mean Carlos's kids
0:35:26 > 0:35:28start to feel pretty cooped up.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53Carlos's boys are growing up.
0:35:53 > 0:35:56They're not far off the age when all children get a bit rebellious
0:35:56 > 0:35:59and start responding to peer pressure.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02But for favela teenagers,
0:36:02 > 0:36:06there's a lot more on offer than piercings and cider.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30People from the Asphalt will tell you about the drug traffickers'
0:37:30 > 0:37:32reign of terror.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36But what they don't understand is that these guys are our sons,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38our brothers and our neighbours.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43They'll tell you they're making the most of their
0:37:43 > 0:37:45employment opportunities,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49and regular shoot-outs means promotion can be pretty sudden.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16With long hours, hired help as young as 12 or 13,
0:38:16 > 0:38:20heavily armed bosses and a very low life expectancy,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22tempers can start to fray.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53And after a tough week at the office,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55everyone needs a way to relax.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47CHEERING
0:39:58 > 0:40:01There are precious moments of tranquillity in the favela
0:40:01 > 0:40:06that you won't find in the hustle of the city outside.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Its steep narrow streets mean there are few cars.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15And within our small communities, 100 friendly eyes
0:40:15 > 0:40:18watch our children play on the streets.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21We don't even need to lock our houses.
0:40:21 > 0:40:22No-one dares to steal in the favela
0:40:22 > 0:40:25for fear of being punished by the traffickers.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29But perhaps the central tenet of favela life is,
0:40:29 > 0:40:33"Estamos juntos" - we stick together.
0:40:37 > 0:40:42Vinicius is the godfather of the Mare motorway hawkers.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44He doesn't just look after them on the road,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47he looks out for them inside the favela, too.
0:41:12 > 0:41:16And Vinicius believes no-one should muck about on the motorway
0:41:16 > 0:41:18on an empty stomach.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39EXCITED SHOUTING
0:41:47 > 0:41:51But Vinicius can't shelter his gang from everything.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56The papers say Mare's pacification operation will start any day,
0:41:56 > 0:42:00and that will probably mean an end to their illegal motorway market.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28# The wind of change...
0:42:28 > 0:42:31# Is blowing. #
0:42:31 > 0:42:34But sometimes, even the rhythm of the favela can miss a beat.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39# Got to keep going
0:42:39 > 0:42:41# Through this wind of... #
0:42:41 > 0:42:44It's Friday, baile night in Mare,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47but the police have launched an unofficial raid,
0:42:47 > 0:42:51flying in the face of baile night etiquette.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55They're shooting it out with the traffickers in the streets.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57GUNFIRE
0:43:00 > 0:43:03GUNFIRE CONTINUES
0:43:30 > 0:43:34And after a sleepless night, fearing for his family,
0:43:34 > 0:43:38surrounded by gunfire, Carlos is coping on his own today.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39His wife is out of town.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24# The wind of change
0:44:24 > 0:44:28# Is blowing. #
0:44:28 > 0:44:31We might be fighting to protect our world,
0:44:31 > 0:44:35but that doesn't mean we're afraid to move with the times.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38While Rio's rich imprison themselves with tradition,
0:44:38 > 0:44:42we embrace change and the opportunities it offers us.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46We have satellite TV, the internet, mobile phones
0:44:46 > 0:44:49and millions of us are on Facebook.
0:44:49 > 0:44:54Passinho spreads across the city on YouTube with dancers posting
0:44:54 > 0:44:56videos of their latest moves.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03Breguete has done everything he can do to prepare.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05He's heading out of the favela
0:45:05 > 0:45:09to prepare for the competition finals on the Asphalt.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16The 16 finalists will perform their dance-offs
0:45:16 > 0:45:19in front of a crowd of 20,000 people,
0:45:19 > 0:45:22and the show will feature on Brazil's biggest channels.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25It's a long way from the practice hall
0:45:25 > 0:45:29in the backstreets of Breguete's favela.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13EXCITED SHOUTING
0:47:55 > 0:47:58The finalists will all dance knockout one-on-one battles
0:47:58 > 0:48:01in front of the three judges.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04The winners of those battles will dance against each other
0:48:04 > 0:48:06until a single winner remains.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13WOMEN SCREAM
0:48:34 > 0:48:37Breguete has only one shot.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41If he loses his first-round battle, he's out of the competition.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47WOMEN SCREAM
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Has he done enough to wow the judges?
0:49:04 > 0:49:08Now he can only watch as his opponent dances.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43CHEERING
0:50:50 > 0:50:54As our government pours billions into our World Cup and Olympics,
0:50:54 > 0:50:58ordinary families all over Brazil are feeling the pinch.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02People are starting to ask if it's worth it.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05CHANTING AND CLAPPING
0:51:07 > 0:51:10In Rio, demonstrations sweep the Asphalt,
0:51:10 > 0:51:15and a corner of Mare gets caught up in the violence around the protests.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26But where, in the Asphalt, the police have been fighting the crowds
0:51:26 > 0:51:28with rubber bullets and tear gas,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30as they cross into the favela,
0:51:30 > 0:51:33the heavy artillery comes out.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Nine Mare residents are shot and killed that night.
0:51:42 > 0:51:46Even in the run-up to pacification, it's a shocking death toll.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Carlos and Adriana decide it's time for a change.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Carlos can't abandon his community.
0:52:21 > 0:52:24The change must be for the whole favela.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44Carlos has come up with an ambitious plan to occupy the motorway
0:52:44 > 0:52:48next to Mare, where the trouble started.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52It's never been done before and Adriana's nervous.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30Despite the rain, more than a thousand people turn up
0:53:30 > 0:53:34and face hundreds of armed police waiting on the border
0:53:34 > 0:53:36between the favela and the Asphalt.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39No-one knows what the police will do.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59# Sad deserted shore...
0:54:01 > 0:54:05# Your fickle friends are leaving. #
0:54:05 > 0:54:09In one of the most peaceful protests of the year,
0:54:09 > 0:54:12the people of Mare march out onto the Asphalt
0:54:12 > 0:54:14and the police stand by and watch.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21# It's time for them to go... #
0:54:24 > 0:54:29Our demand is simple - that we be allowed to find our own solutions
0:54:29 > 0:54:33to our own problems, without living in fear of the police.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02People call the favela the shadow side of the city,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05but actually it's the Asphalt that lives in OUR shadow.
0:55:07 > 0:55:12We've grown to be the most inspiring and resourceful people in Rio.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15We've created our own way of life, our own rules,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18our own well-run communities.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22And our pride is starting to show.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26We're walking out onto the Asphalt with our heads held high.
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Breguete's been chosen from hundreds of Passinho dancers
0:55:47 > 0:55:51for free classical dance lessons on the Asphalt.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57A new little step towards his dream.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Carlos is persisting with his driving lessons,
0:56:45 > 0:56:47but, if he ever passes his test,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50Adriana knows the best she can hope for is a day trip.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12And if one day real peace does come to the favela,
0:57:12 > 0:57:16who knows? Perhaps even drug traffickers' dreams could come true.
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Next time on Welcome To Rio,
0:57:55 > 0:57:57watch our city fall apart when the rains come.
0:58:04 > 0:58:06And meet the feisty Funcheria women
0:58:06 > 0:58:09whose lyrics are banned on the Asphalt.