SANTA MARTA FAVELA
Do they really care about us?
Santa Marta Favela in Rio de Janeiro — Michael Jackson filmed parts of his music video „They Don’t Really Care About Us“ here in 1996. He wrote this song as a protest against all forms of prejudice.
„The song is about the pain of prejudice and hate and is a way to draw attention to social and political problems. I am the voice of the accused and the attacked. I am the voice of everyone. I am the skinhead, I am the Jew, I am the black man, I am the white man. (…) It is about the injustices to young people and how the system can wrongfully accuse them.“ — Michael Jackson
After the filming, Michael Jackson supported the neighbourhood financially and the attention it brought led to more and more tourists visiting the favela. On the Michael Jackson Square named after him, there is now a bronze statue of the singer as well as a large mosaic image depicting him. Today this square is both a destination for tourists and a meeting point for the young people and children of the favela. In the screenshot you can see the wall on the square in the background — a wall I was allowed to redesign 26 years later.
Favelas have a bad reputation because of crime, drug trafficking and poverty. But all of this is only part of the story. There is more to it. It was important to me to involve the residents of the favela in the project and to learn more about their lives. The children who looked confidently into the camera when I photographed them still have their whole lives ahead of them. Prejudice can negatively affect lives. Let us listen and help prevent that.
Thank you Juliana for showing me the favela and making me aware of the opportunity. Thank you Bruno for helping us find our way around the favela and for helping us make contact with the families. Thank you Yvens for supporting me and my idea and for being there for me. Thank you Lukas for waiting for us and for your help. Thank you for your interest and your openness. Thank you for continuing this project with me and for the fact that we can work on it together. I look forward to what comes from it.
Bruno and Lukas told me more about their lives and share that with us here.
Santa Marta Favela
Santa Marta Favela
At the end of 2008, Santa Marta Favela became the first favela in Rio to trial so-called „Pacifying Police Units“ (UPP) to reduce violence and crime. Since then the favela has been under police control.
Since the mayor introduced the Rio Top Tour project in 2010, guided tours for tourists have taken place in the favela. Juliana, who accompanied me into the favela, told me that these tours have a positive effect — financially, but also in terms of the understanding people develop when they learn more about Santa Marta.
Today approximately 8,000 people live in the favela.
(Quelle: Santa Marta Tour)
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