Tudo Azul (“Everything Blue: The Colour of Music”) Vince Yim Amidst the favelas of Brazil, Portuguese for “slums,” people live in harsh conditions, faced with poverty, violence, and despair. Despite that, there is much hope among the peo- ple, as they journey into their com- munities and tap into a culture of music, dance, and art. The meaning of tudo azul—a Brazilian colloquial- ism for “everything is okay’—is explored in great detail as director Jesse Acevendo interviews the strug- gling musicians of Brazil. Not only does Tudo Azul offer insight into the music and culture, it also offers us a glimpse into Brazil’s history and society. A racially diverse culture does not often come without any form of marginalisation, as they are not only dealing with the cast-offs of the poor, but also blacks. As the slave trade and its abolition are major part of Brazilian history, it still resonates today, which is something discussed in the interviews, including conversation with two major musical figures, Fernada Montenegro, a screen actress and musician, and Caetano Veloso, a singer famous in Brazil. The sounds of Brazil are distinct and infectious and are shown through the film’s many musical inter- ludes. These come courtesy of the film’s subjects, ranging from the estab- lished musicians to those on the favelas. For them, music is not just a part of life, it's a means of survival. This is shown through the streets of Brazil as one elderly woman named Mae Prieta teaches music to street kids. This allows them to escape the drugs and violence that are often associated with poverty. However, it’s not the musicians on the streets that struggle—even those with estab- lished careers have difficulties. This is unfortunate, as music like this deserves to be heard by everyone. The film is at its best when Acevendo’s lens takes us into the samba schools of Rio de Janeiro as they all prepare for the annual Carnaval, a week-long festival in the same vein as Mardi Gras, but much bigger. Sadly, while the interviewees stress the importance of Carnaval to their culture and their lives, the docu- mentary glosses over the actual cele- bration and only shows a few brief clips. This is unfortunate, as it is one of the more visually interesting things to look at during the documentary. A glimpse into a vibrant and rich culture that thrives despite poverty, the film is worthy of a viewing and deserves to be picked up for distribu- tion. should Be ligcts} a me and that Bere en is a tool of the - capitalist system that created the bomb. Zahedi’s philosophy leads him into a rela- tionship with a French girl, Christa, that eventually leads to the severing of his rela- tionship with his “true love,” and other girl- Secepes Soon sci a ae ue