The 30-year-old community of Muzema is situated between a lagoon and the mountainside, adjacent to Jardim Oceânico, a wealthy area in Barra da Tijuca. One of the community’s most vibrant streets, paved and finished by residents and bustling with neighborhood events, is at risk of eviction. The city argues this is necessary in order to dredge a canal which runs behind the street’s homes. Yet the same canal was dredged on the other side of the community under a previous administration with no relocations.
The video “Muzema Residents Discuss Threat of Eviction,” shows interviews with community residents about how this situation affects their lives and the community’s battle with City Hall over compensation offers. One resident discusses the risks her house faces because of poor construction practices on neighboring lots, which have caused her home to lean over. Residents of these few poorly constructed homes near the lagoon should be relocated to safer housing, but the vast majority of housing on the lovely street is solidly built.