Pixadores

A band of graffiti taggers scales the skyscrapers of São Paulo by night, routinely facing death. The city offers plenty of walls for their canvases. These PIXADORES started tagging as kids, just playing around. Now they protest against the system and repression. This is the story of Djan, Ricardo, William, and Biscoito, who live in the same favela. They paint to be hated instead of just ignored. They paint so their lives don’t go unnoticed. They surf on fast trains for kicks, their favorite drug adrenaline. Now the unbelievable happens, and the PIXADORES are invited to Berlin to participate in the Biennale exhibition of contemporary art. They’re chosen as representative victims of social inequality who use art as political expression. But when told to restrict their painting to pre-selected walls, the PIXADORES naturally revolt, causing a scandal among well-meaning benefactors. This edgy documentary gets into the hearts and minds of dedicated rebels whose chosen weapon is paint. (In English, Portuguese, and German with subtitles) – B.B.