Excellent film. A hard story to tell and a hard story to watch, which makes it an even bigger achievement. As I switched over and saw the opening credits to this film, I  thought I had seen the story before and that unless it was exceptional I would soon change channel. 

“What is there to see of the Brazilian favela violence, drug wars etc, that has not already been covered?” I thought. This is going to be an exercise in voyeurism but for no other reason than entertainment; But I was wrong.

By speaking to the people of all sides and taking time to cover them even during their unguarded moments, their moments of doubt, the unglamorous difficult days, the author was able to give a real picture of the characters involved, their weaknesses, and the external characters and situations with which they interact. 

Tough, it is…. definitely. There are some harrowing scenes. There are also scenes of hope and some very informative observations from all of the participants (whether intentionally or not). For someone who wishes to understand, it is invaluable and it successfully puts a human face on all those involved. A great piece of work.