Storyline

This documentary profiles Yvonne Bezerra de Mello, a socialite turned social activist who runs safe houses for homeless Brazilian street children. Yvonne becomes invested in her work after police kill eight homeless youths in 1993. Working daily in some of Rio de Janeiro's toughest slums, Yvonne uses innovative techniques to reach out to children coping with poverty, AIDS and absent parents, while fighting hostile Brazilian attitudes toward the poor.

Plot Keywords

activist, young girl, husband, socialite, child, uplifting, gritty, raw, rio de janeiro, slum, street, aids, poverty, social activism, homelessness, childhood, identity, quest, sacrifice, underdog, 2000s

Short Review

She is bold, outspoken and charismatic, and you'll never forget her. The film is really a story of a hero: Yvonne Bezerra de Mello. The documentary showcases Project Uere, a humanitarian organization created by de Mello, an upper class artist of gaining an almost mythical stature in Brazil and elsewhere. Dedicated to helping the street children of Rio, Project Uere was created after the savage and widely publicized massacre of Rio street children in 1993. Totally unstaged, "Warrior of Light" shows how Brazil suffers from the wide gap between the rich and the poor, based on class and color. When she could easily retire into her very wealthy enclaves, de Mello reaches out and literally hugs the most powerless victims of abuse and neglect: children. In the process, many of her upper class counterparts ostracize her. Nevertheless, she feeds, clothes, teaches, washes, scolds and protects children who have little knowledge of what "love and security" mean. Like PIXOTE, CITY OF GOD, and BUS 174 (which also featured de Mello in an interview segment), this is a good social responsibility presentation that focuses on Brazilian children. See it and share this inspirational film with people of any age, even though there are some brief grizzly murder scenes. This film was once very hard to obtain in the USA, and it is wonderful that it is becoming more widely available. However, there needs to be a more detailed follow up of developments regarding the project and children involved, like the "7 Up" series

Trailer

Streaming Service

1. Amazon Video : Rent from $1.99, Or $0.00 with a Prime membership