Bus 174

Directed by José Padilha

Valentine’s Day, 2000, a Rio bus was hijacked by a disturbed young man. The police moved in, but not soon enough to prevent media encirclement, with the resulting four and a half hour standoff broadcast live on television. This documentary mixes TV footage with interviews, tracing the sad history of a young man who saw his mother murdered when he was 6, survived a notorious police massacre of street kids and spent brutalising time in jail. Padilha artfully articulates the human cost of indifference and the countless manifestations of sanctioned cruelty. “Tense, engrossing, and superbly structured, this is not just unforgettable drama but a skillfully developed argument.” The Village Voice

Duration:
120 minutes

Country of origin:
Brazil

Year of production:
2002