First-time filmmaker Dan Jackson chose an absolute leviathan of a story as his first film. In the Shadow of the Hill takes place in a Rio de Janeiro favela known as Rocinha. In anticipation of both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics taking place in the country, attempts were made to rid Rocinha of the constant presence of drug traffickers. An elite squad known as BOPE, without even firing a shot, get rid of the threat.
But things are never that simple.
The elite squad becomes drunk with power, disappearing anyone they can find to rid the streets of the criminal element. The squad soon becomes notorious for their antics and demeanor.
The plot really kicks into gear with the disappearance of 43-year-old bricklayer Amarildo de Souza. Not content with letting BOPE get away with it, de Souza’s family mounts a campaign to raise awareness of his disappearance. Aided by fearless civil rights advocate Joao Tancredo, Jackson’s film illuminates this family’s ordeal against nearly insurmountable odds.
Jackson’s film combines the day-by-day lives of those living in Rocinha with the bigger picture of eliminating crime to have the World Cup and Olympics go off without a hitch. He truly commits himself, as he lived on and off in Rocinha for a year while making the picture. The only police figure who agrees to an interview is Major Edson Santos, who claims that de Souza was released without incident the night of his arrest. Even when justice (finally) prevails, the situation in the favela remains bleak. The poor citizens of Rocinha are subject to the iron will of BOPE.
Jackson’s first film is a beautiful, nuanced take on the citizens of Rocinha and the issues they face. They are simple people who, having finally had enough, take up a cause to free one of their own. It combines social justice awareness with a sleek documentary style for a powerful, moving story.
Included in our list of Best Documentaries 2021.
