I often wonder if those living in Rio de Janiero's favelas (or slums) ever tire of the sudden amount in interest in their way of living, spiked by Fernando Meirelles' searing 2002 City of God, which brought this violent, vivid world into the Western consciousness. It's a brutal, unforgiving place that often seems devoid of hope or chance, with plenty of promising lives snuffed out before they've even begun.

Directors Matt Mochary and Jeff Zimbalist trace a different kind of story, one of redemption and retribution that finds one man, Anderson Sa, whose life has been torn apart by senseless violence, channeling his considerable charisma into leading a musical movement known as Afro-reggae. Spicing their fairly straightforward narrative with some truly astonishing concert sequences, Mochary and Zimbalist provide a refreshing counter-point to all of the hyper-kinetic violence that's fast becoming inextricably linked to this particular part of the world. The odds which Sa and his followers have to overcome -- murderous drug lords, corrupt police and politicians and bloodthirsty military officials -- are extraordinary, but then so is the music they make: a pounding, almost cathartic display of dance and music that captures the imagination of more than a few children.

Mochary and Zimbalist follow Sa as he strives to reduce the number of children sucked into violent lives by promoting love, peace and understanding -- even narrowly escaping a brush with death himself. Favela Rising is about the transformative power of art flourishing in the most unexpected place and its far-reaching impact upon those who might otherwise be lost before their lives are even begun. It's an exhilarating, intoxicating document of a part of the world too often associated with death, destruction and despair.

Released through NetFlix's new Red Envelope Entertainment, Favela Rising is currently only available through the online rental service; it's unknown whether this disc will ever be seen on the shelves of retail outlets, but given that no other NetFlix exclusives have yet turned up in your local Best Buy, it's unlikely (although, all that said, Amazon lists this disc as being released in March of 2007).

The Video:

Favela Rising is a movie worth your attention which makes this abysmal 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer all the more unfortunate -- this is easily one of the worst transfers I've seen in 2006. It's unbelievably soft, lacking any sharpness or real detail and just looks very grainy (and not just because of the amount of archival footage the film contains). It's a horrible, horrible transfer.

For as worthless as the transfer is, the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is surprisingly solid, with clear, distortion-free dialogue as well as a sense of warmth and fullness during the musical sequences. It's not a track that will light your speakers on fire, but does its job well. An optional Dolby 2.0 stereo soundtrack is included and forced English subtitles help translate the often rapid-fire Portuguese.

The 22 minute, 21 second featurette "Behind The Documentary," presented in non-anamorphic widescreen, outlines Mochary and Zimbalist's journey to realize the film, while a four minute, 37 second music video gives viewers an unfiltered taste of Afro-reggae, with a two minute, 33 second theatrical trailer completing the disc.

Favela Rising is about the transformative power of art flourishing in the most unexpected place and its far-reaching impact upon those who might otherwise be lost before their lives are even begun. It's an exhilarating, intoxicating document of a part of the world too often associated with death, destruction and despair. Recommended.