SXSW 2009: Diplo's new documentary

The 75-minute film takes place exclusively in the hillside Brazilian slums known as favelas, where funk culture thrives. I got a little uneasy in the first minute or two, which features explanatory voiceover from Diplo, but for the rest of the film he remains off camera and lets the favelados tell their own stories. The film feels guided by Diplo's tastes and his deadpan sense of humor, but he knows better than to insert himself into the story. 

The various funk MCs handle things pretty well on their own. There are guys, girls, little kids—all of whom appear deeply immersed in baile funk, a tribal kind of hip-hop that derives from Miami bass culture, and that seems to revolve entirely around sex. The film takes viewers inside the favelas for interviews with the MCs, and there's some great on-location footage of the sweaty evening bailes, which are sort of like favela block parties.

Favela on Blast doesn't have much in the way of narrative arc, but it does make a persuasive case for baile funk both as an art form and as an escape—figurative or literal—from favela poverty. See it if you can, and cross your fingers for a soundtrack.