Min

Narration / Image

Sound bites

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NAOMY

I used to eat alligators. 

I helped catch them. 

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My father was a fisherman.

He was one of the first fishermen here. 

Then others came.

Now, all we can see over there is the construction. 

I ask myself, “What will this become?”

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Terre Des Hommes Presents 

A Fireworx Media Production

A film by Dara Kell & Christopher Nizza

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[TRANSLATED IMAGE]

“Future facilities of Olympic Park, Rio

2016”

[TEXT]

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be  held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.                 

[TEXT]                                                                      

The Olympic Park is being built next to      the Vila Autódromo favela, home to 900            families.                 

[TEXT]  Vila Autódromo                 

2 years until the Olympics.                                 

My name is Naomy. 

I’m twelve years old. 

I live in Vila Autódromo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

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This is a quiet place to live and raise children. There’s no militia and no drug dealing.

You can walk around and you won’t be mugged or raped. 

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[TRANSLATED IMAGE]

“TransOlympic Road Infrastructure and

Urbanization”

My father came here when he was a teenager.

When he came here, this was all a jungle. He built the house, brick by brick, with my grandmother.

The first time I heard about the Olympic Games, the mayor said, “Your community will be evicted.”

Many families are being evicted, more than 400. 

The evictions caused many problems for the community.

Families got separated, some wanted to stay, some wanted to go.

But my father said, “Our community will only be evicted if the last one living here wants to leave.”

My father’s role is to defend this community and protect people’s rights.

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[TEXT]

RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Vila Autódromo

MARIA DE PENHA

We’re starting…

I want to introduce myself; my name is Maria de Penha.

I’ve lived here for 21 years.

On behalf of the community, those who want to stay, thanks for coming to help us.

City Hall is actively trying to destroy this community, constantly pressurizing and harassing us.

They trick people into thinking an apartment is better than a house.

They say, “everyone will leave, and you’ll end up with nothing.”

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We can’t allow this community to disappear from the map of Rio de Janeiro.

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-                      They’re making people move from houses into tiny apartments.

NAOMY’S FATHER

-                      That’s why I won't move.

I believe we have the right to a decent house and not have to go to these apartments they’re building for us.

I’d rather be in a decent house of my choice.

Ok, thanks guys.

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Some residents who were evicted from Vila Autódromo were moved to the newly constructed Parque Carioca complex. 

Onwards?

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NAOMY

My mom moved to Parque Carioca.

When the city administration came, saying that she would have to leave, that day, she registered. She took her things and left.

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My mom lives with her husband at Parque Carioca and his son, who is my brother. 

It’s hard to live far away from my mom and my brother. 

The new apartments are tiny like a cube, a matchbox. 

To some people, the apartments are beautiful.

But that’s their opinion. 

To me there’s nothing beautiful about them.      

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I do like to talk a lot.

But sometimes I like to sit here alone and write.

I keep thinking about how things are going in Brazil.

I think too much money is being spent on the

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2016 Olympics.

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[TRANSLATED IMAGE]

Children crossing

…And then speaking more generally the total budget for the Olympics has already reached 37.5 billion Reais and that number includes 7 million for general expenses for the Games, plus six billion to build the sports facilities – but those costs might rise. Plus 24 billion for projects called the “Legacy of the Olympic Games.” So we already have a total of 37.5 billion Reais [$18 billion USD}…

I don’t know where they get the money; I’d love to know.

They could be spending the money on healthcare or building schools for children.

I don’t think it’s right.

I think it’s wrong.

A few months ago, there was a tiny bit of construction. 

Now the building in front of us is 8 or 9 stories high. 

I ask myself what it will be. 

Some people say it will be a hotel.

They only want evictions because they want to remove the poor people. 

But there are a lot of people who won’t give up.

COMMUNITY

Pressure won’t work!

Jump if you hate evictions!

NAOMY

There are a lot of people who help us with our fight. 

People come from all the communities, all the favelas because they know what we’re going through.  

−    We’re sending a message to the mayor of Rio.

−    Until he stops evicting our communities we won't leave the

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[TRANSLATED TEXT]

Give the 20 m0illion to health and housing!

streets!

NAOMY

In one protest, my dad and Mrs. Jane were hit by pepper spray. 

I was at home, I saw it on TV. 

I saw people running. 

I saw that it was dangerous for my dad and Mrs. Jane. 

I see the cruelty of the police, pepper spraying everyone's faces.

I ask myself, “These people are fighters for their houses and their land. 

Maybe I can be a fighter now, I can be mature.” 

But in the future when I grow up, will I still be a fighter?   

I wonder about this.

The construction starts every day at 6 a.m. 

There’s so much dust, so much noise.

The construction companies are to blame for all this pollution.

The machines doing the construction are spilling oil.  

The oil is slowly seeping into the lagoon and contaminating it.

It’s not only bad for the environment; it’s bad for the people and the fish. 

The community was beautiful. 

Now it’s becoming ugly. 

I think the city should realize that there are consequences when you tear down houses.

They are doing these things to force people to give up.

The people who promised to stay strong until the end are getting tired and leaving.

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[TEXT]

22 months before the Olympics

[TRANSLATED IMAGE]

“Residents: Public Hearing Bus leaves at

11 a.m.”

My friends told me, “Naomy, near or far, our friendship continues.”

We won’t let the Olympics or the evictions end our friendship.

When Hugo left, I was really sad. 

He is like a brother to me. I call him “brother”. 

And he calls me ‘sister’. 

When I got back from school, his house was demolished and he was gone. 

It’s hard when you don’t understand… I’m 12 years old, and I’m strong but sometimes I’m weak. 

But that’s life. We have to go on. 

- I’m so glad you came 

Good evening everyone.  

For those who don’t know me, I’m the public defender. 

Demolitions are being done in a disorganized, illegal manner.  

Something unprecedented has happened. 

The judge has announced a special hearing.  It’s extremely rare. 

I’ll need to speak with each and every one of you, to decide exactly what we’re going to say at the hearing.

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-          We’ll take this stone by stone. 

-          We’ll have to do this house by house

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[TEXT]

The judge declared that all demolitions in Vila Autódromo should halt, pending further investigation.

[TEXT]

Nine months later

One year until the Olympics

NAOMY

They can't demolish any more houses. 

And the judge promised to come here and make sure. 

-  If I were you, I would be ashamed!

By February, they stopped demolishing altogether. 

By July, they were back to intimidate us.

-  They threatened to evict a family. 

So we came to support the family. 

The police came. 

We tried to stop them from using force, and they beat us all. 

NAOMY

I didn’t imagine my family would go through all this.

All this brought me a lot of sadness.

Sometimes, I stay here in the house and cry. 

Some people say there will be no houses left here.

But I’m trying to think positive, not negative.

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[TEXT]

Unable to evict, the city offers the remaining residents more money to leave their homes, in some cases, up to $500, 000

USD.

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NAOMY’S FATHER

The law is on our side, but people chose to leave. 

The money offered makes up their minds, and they end up leaving. 

I can’t ask a father to refuse $200,000, $500,000 USD. 

We can’t blame residents who choose to leave. 

They no longer believe me when I say, “The community will prevail.”

NAOMY

My father went to City Hall. 

They told him he had to leave. 

He said, “Ok, but only with the amount of money I want.”

They called and said, “Ok, we’ll give you what you want”. 

But every wall they tear down is something you built with your own hands. 

Every wall that falls down contains a piece of your life.

NAOMY

My father had the idea to move behind the Residents’ Association. 

Unwilling to leave Vila Autódromo, Naomy’s father constructed a new house in the last, narrow zone of legally livable land.

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We’re still fighting to stay here, even if it means we’re living behind the Association. 

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[TEXT]

Official Olympic plans show all of Vila Autódromo demolished by the start of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Forty families, including Naomy’s, are fighting for the right to remain living in Vila Autódromo.

THE FIGHTER

The few people that are still here, they really want to stay here.

Giving up has never entered my mind. 

I think I’m this way because I was born and raised in the struggle. 

My dad said to me, “Daughter, you were born a fighter.”

When the Olympics begin, we’ll be celebrating because we won't have left, we'll still be here, steady and strong during the Olympics.  

A Fireworx Media film

               for

Terre des Hommes