Deschutes Public Library

A Mao e A Luva

eng

videorecording

A Mao e A Luva

956905345

Originally produced by Lupin Film in 2010

65

North east Brazil, State of Pernanbuco. We are in one of the poorest and most needy areas of the city of Recife, the Pina favela. This is where the film takes place, a film that recounts the story of Ricardo Gomes Ferraz, aged 35, better known as KCal. The favela is spread along the edges of the river. Kcal, poet and musician, has turned his house, a lake-dwelling suspended over the water, into a library for the children of his community. Sacrificing his few resources, for over 15 years, he has bought second-hand books in dozens of different places all over the city. The library has become a meeting place for hundreds of children and adults, a place where dreaming is not forbidden, where imagination can flyto places very different from the favela. Drugs and prostitution constantly menace daily existence.At the age of 16, a book found by chance, ђ́جA MAO E A LUVAђ́ح by Machado de Assis, transformed Kcalђ́ةs life. From that day Kcal has not ever stopped feeding himself on culture and passing it on to his children. On 25th March 2008, this man, who defines himself as ђ́جA dealer in booksђ́ح، received an esteemed award in recognition of his work over the years: this award, ђ́جFaz Diferencaђ́ح in the category ђ́جsocial servicesђ́ح is the same that Lujiz Inacioa da Silva, now President of Brazil, received in 2003. In April 2009, the Minister of Culture in Brazil, Juca Ferreira, recognized the importance of the work done by Ricardo Gomes Ferraz. Thus a government project has evolved which has seen the opening of many libraries in the favelas. From the ђ́جLivroteca Os Guardioesђ́ح founded by Kcal, today another 514 libraries are functioning all over Brazil

live action