Restless

A black young man from a poor neighborhood in Brazil was arrested by the military police and never seen again. Assisted by the local newspaper, his dad conducted an investigation that led to the indictment of several policemen. The Brazilian police is the most violent in the world with more than six thousand homicides every year, a situation in which president Bolsonaro advocates the right of police officers and civilians to shoot supposed offenders without fear of prosecution. This documentary weaves the investigation of Geovane's murder with a debate about the historic and social roots of police brutality.

Director’s note:

"I wanted to include in the film a segment about a similar incident that occurred in the USA, the very same week as the Brazilian drama: the murder of Michael Brown which had a huge repercussion. It was helpful not only to show how two societies react differently but also to call the attention to the fact that police violence is a worldwide phenomenon, and not only of the developing nations. It is generally the inheritance of those countries which have not confronted and resolved their past associated with slavery, racism and discrimination. The tragedy is also that many police officers are black and do no perceive that they are part of a system created for and manipulated by Brazil’s white elite.”

Bernard Attal (Director)