Warrior of Light

A powerful subject—the plight of homeless children in Rio de Janeiro—is treated in a conventional, if also reasonably uplifting fashion in Monika Treut's documentary about Yvonne Bezerra de Mello, a Brazilian socialite who established a project to assist street kids (the catalyst for her decision was the infamous Candelária Massacre of 1993, in which eight children were killed by police outside a Rio cathedral). Drawing on extensive interviews with de Mello, family members, work aides, and—most importantly—children whose lives have been affected by her efforts, Warrior of Light traces the events of de Mello's earlier life (she was educated in France and lived in Europe with her first husband and three children before divorcing and returning to Brazil, where she wed a wealthy businessman and began a career as an author and artist), as well as her founding and leadership of Projeto Uerê. De Mello's energy and commitment are abundantly evident in both her passionate remarks and her interaction with the children, while the stories here of those who have benefited from her help serve to personalize de Mello's crusade in a joyous and sometimes heartbreaking manner. Released in 2001, Warrior of Light is complemented by a 24-minute update, Christmas in Uerê, in which Treut returns to Rio for a follow-up featuring some of the children in the original documentary. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)