Klaus Thymann's Short on Recife's Street Kids

Great Guns director Klaus Thymann has collaborated with Nicolas Jayr from BBH London and Grupo Ruas E Praças – a Brazilian NGO based in Recife to shoot a short film documentary focusing on the children and adolescents that live on Recife’s streets.

The coastal city of Recife in Brazil is home to 1.5 million people and is soon to become a World Cup host city. It is also home to hundreds of homeless children living on the streets, who are exposed to drugs, gangs, prostitution and violence.

Despite the severity of the situation in Recife, the film aims to focus on the positive and show the kids from a more hopeful and encouraging angle. Shot over 4 days with actual street kids, Thymann captured his narrative to show the positive impact that the NGO work has on these street kids and ultimately to raise awareness on the issue. It gives the audience a chance to see Recife’s street children in a different light – it captures the courage, talent and genuine dreams of these kids.

The entire campaign #TEMVIDANASRUAS or ‘There is life in the streets’ includes a short documentary as well as a series of visually striking posters (also shot by Thymann) which help to paint a picture of hope by showing what Grupo Ruas E Praças do. Using tailored arts and cultural projects the NGO helps to install a sense of self-determination and gives the children love and support to help them build positive lives off the streets.

The project was part of The International Exchange (T.I.E.) program, a social enterprise that brings together the world of communications and NGO in developing countries, to which BBH partners since 2010, and was funded through the City of Good (www.cityofgood.me) initiative that Nicolas created to raise money for the project at BBH. Production was supplied pro-bono by Great Guns and Glassworks and renowned American producer Diplo, who has strong ties to Brazil and its favelas through his ‘Favela on Blast’ projects provided the genius soundtrack.

Credits

Director & Writer: Klaus Thymann

Executive Producer: Nicolas Jayr

Creative Team: Nicolas Jayr & Klaus Thymann

Producers: Raphael Saraiva, Karina Oliveira @ Melhor Communicação  & Rachel Clarke @ BBH

Editor: Phil Highnett @ Marshall Street Editors

Designers: Vinny Olimpio @ BBH, Bruno Reis & Ana Vallestro @ Melhor Communicação and Kenzo Kramarz

Post Production: Hector Macleod & Duncan Russell @ Glassworks

Production Facilities: Jane Gershfield @ Great Guns

Digital Production: Agencia Conteúdo

General Coordination: Philippa White @ T.I.E.

Music: Diplo – Revolution ft. Faustix & Imanos & Kali