Art and creativity, an antidote against fear. From Brazil with Unhate

I want to share this film that documents, with great sensitivity, a project the Unhate Foundation made possible in São Paulo, in cooperation with the Brazilian organization Projeto Quixote. The project took the form of a creative workshop organised by “Colors” magazine and Fabrica, involving twenty-five young people coming from situations of risk or conditions of social vulnerability.

In line with the theme of some recent issues of “Colors”, each of these young people created their own personal “survival manual” on their city: a sort of handbook made of clippings, photographs and stories to recount their daily lives and lift the veil of indifference that hides them from our view.

The director, Fernanda Fernandes, who shot the film and witnessed the various phases of the project wrote to me saying, “It was incredible to translate into images what it means for these kids to survive on the streets. However, the most important thing was to give them the possibility of being heard”.

In conclusion, this was undeniably a profound experience of exchange and sharing. Art can also be an antidote against the fear of others, of those who are perceived as different – which is certainly one of the main causes of the marginalisation and prejudice that affect these young people. Enjoy the film.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvOJMeP0XgA[/youtube]