A creative production house exploring new narrative forms

Ballet & Bullets

A group of young ballerinas from one of the most violent favelas in Rio de Janeiro use dance to strive for a brighter future.

“An extraordinary account of daring, dreaming and hope” – The Guardian

“Beautiful and heartwrenching” – Ever Widening Circles

Released globally by VICE on October 25, 2018:
youtube.com/watch?v=to0evRbb9lY

Support the Na Ponta dos Pés ballet school:
justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ontiptoe

Co-Director / Producer / Camera: Frederick Bernas, Rayan Hindi
Additional Camera / Co-Producer: Sebastian Gil Miranda
Assistant Producers: Diane Ghogomu, Mario Kaneski
Edit Producer: Grant Armour
Editor: Marta Velasquez
Assistant Editors: Katerina Valaskova, Danny Robertson
Original Music: Grant Armour, Frederick Bernas
Executive Producer: Alex Hoffman

Produced with support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.
pulitzercenter.org/projects/favela-ballet

Festivals:
Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (China, December 2019)
Nola Critical Edge Film & Live Art Festival (New Orleans, USA, September 2019)
MICGénero (Mexico City, August 2019)
Bristol Independent Film Festival (UK, July 2019) – Winner, Best Short Doc
International Choreographic Festival of Blois (France, July 2019)
Fist Up Film Festival (Oakland, USA, July 2019)
Around International Film Festival (Paris, France, April 2019) – Winner, Best Short Doc
3ª Mostra Lugar de Mulher é no Cinema (Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, March 2019)