In the melting pot of the Brazilian mega city Salvador-Bahia, a small afro-Brazilian community draws attention to itself. In 1979, the community founded the cultural group Malê Debalê. In this community, music and dance connect the African lifestyle with the general Brazilian lifestyle.
Malê Debalê welds the people together to one community. Percussion, music and dance are taught, trained and celebrated together by Malê Debalê in order to proudly present their culture during the legendary street carnival in Salvador once a year. Without doubt, Malê Debalê is with more than 4000 members, 1500 dancers and 150 percussionists “the worlds largest Afro ballet”, like it was written in the New York Times.
Malê Debalê is an intoxicating music movie, who, simultaneously, delivers insights into the life of the Afro-Brazilian ethnic group. People with African origins do not lead an easy life in Brazil. Most of them belong to the poor. In the society of “light-skinned”, they are still suffering from discrimination. Malê Debalê makes the Afro-Brazilians aware of their cultural identity and tries to restore their self-confidence and their hope.
Malê Debalê is also a fight for social recognition and for the possibility to escape poverty. Carnival is highly respected throughout society in Brazil. Malê Debalê is a show-stopper by participating in the street carnival. It supports enthusiasm for the Afro-Brazilian culture. The project Malê Debalê is a small step to overcome the apparently invisible “wall of Apartheid” in Brazil.
The children of Malê Debalê are presented very sensitive in the movie. They perform with their own percussion-formation and they are brought closer to the ´Bloco Afro´ in carnival. Malê Debalê is also an educational idea. It is a distinction for the children of these poor people to participate in Malê Debalê. They have to prove good grades in school and are not allowed to have legal problems. The children have the opportunity to capture a place in society by making music.
Malê Debalê inspires and exhilarates through rhythm, music and dance.
The movie shows strong characters who captivate with their emotionality and their vitality.
Title: Malê Debalê
56 minutes Color, HD CAM, Sound: 5.1 Surround
Director: Mika Kaurismäki
Screenplay: Mika Kaurismäki, Uwe Dresch, Marco Forster
Actors:
Bloco Afro Malê Debalê
Banda Afro Beat
Billy Cobham
Country of origin: Germany
Co-production countries: Finland, Switzerland
Year of production: 2009
Production Company:
Uwe Dresch Film Ltd.
Aegidienbergerstr. 23
D-50939 Köln (Cologne)
www.udfilm.com
producer: Uwe Dresch
E-Mail: uwe (at) dresch (dot) info
Phone: + 49 163 581 33 67
Co: production:
Marianna Films OY, Finland
Marco Forster Productions, Switzerland
Director of Photography: Jacques Cheuiche
Film Editor: Uwe Dresch
Sound: Uwe Dresch
Colors & Grading: Roger Kleiber
Music:
Malê Debale
Banda Afro Beat
CONTACT: MALE DEBALE SOCIEDADE RECREATIVA E CARNAVALESCA
inscrita sob n. de CNPJ 32.699.860/0001-51, situada no Parque Metropolitano Abaeté S/N Itapoâ, CEP 41.610.000, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.
www.maledebale.org
