short than visiting or volunteering in a favela, one of the best ways to get a feel for life in these communities is hearing about it from the actual residents.

a number of remarkable documentaries have been made to depict various aspects of life and culture in the favelas.  we present here some among the most meaningful and acclaimed, covering themes of life inside a favela including the now famous music of the favelas - rhythm funk carioca .

we highly recommend watching these documentaries, as they will show a rio otherwise invisible to most people visiting the city.  even a basic awareness of what happens in these particular neighborhoods would add depth, understanding, and significance to anyone's visit.