True/False: "Manda Bala (Send A Bullet)"
Published March 6, 2007
Jason Kohn's vivid, jarring saga of interwoven lives affected by organized crime and political corruption in Brazil won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and the acclaim was well deserved.
Throughout the film, Kohn challenges conventional perceptions of right and wrong, most notably through an interview with a kidnapper from Sao Paulo who commits violent crimes but builds sewer systems and feeds his impoverished community where corrupt politicians fail. The combination of innovative choices in imagery with shockingly deadpan testimonies makes "Manda Bala" one of the most ambitious and important films shown last weekend.