A terrible massacre took place in Baixada Fluminense, near the city of Rio de Janeiro. Twenty-nine people were killed by a death squad, the largest massacre in the history of Rio. The killers are extermination groups made up of policemen who work in the area, and who are involved in extortions, kidnapping, drug dealing and homicide. This has been going on since the 1950s, but it has never been as extreme as it is today. The film is organized in four parts: "Daily Life in Baixada Fluminense" shows footage of residents of the town. "The Massacre" describes the carnage and the feelings it provoked. "Death Squads" deals with the killing commandos in the area and includes an interview with a professional assassin. "Daily Life 2" shows the people in Baixada Fluminense and their attempts to process what they have experienced. "At no time do the images in "Acts of Men" seek to be beautiful. The camera trembles; we often filmed without a tripod. Such situations make it clear how afraid the whole crew was because it was here at this moment. War correspondence is not interested in what happens on the margins. I was interested in the people who live in this region and some of whom did not even stand in any particular relationship to this massacre." Kiko Goifman
Production: Paleo TV, São Paulo; Plateau Produções, São Paulo; Mil Colores Media, München; Cachoeira Films, Tübingen
Screenplay: Kiko Goifman
Cinematographer: Diego Gozze
Sound: Fabio Brága
Editors: Diego Gozze, Patrício Salgado
Format/screen ratio: 35mm, 1:1.85, Color
Running time: 75 min., 24 frames/sec.
Language: Portuguese
