{"id":21989,"date":"2015-09-08T14:06:17","date_gmt":"2015-09-08T17:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=21989"},"modified":"2015-09-08T14:13:53","modified_gmt":"2015-09-08T17:13:53","slug":"alemao-residents-make-waves-with-their-own-comedy-chanel-with-international-viewers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=21989","title":{"rendered":"Alem\u00e3o Residents Make Waves With Their Own Comedy Channel, With International Viewers [VIDEO]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

For the original in Portuguese, by Melissa Cannabrava, published in Voz das Comunidades,\u00a0click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

The actors behind the characters ‘100g’ and ‘Jurubeba’ aim for\u00a0success and hope to show there is much more to their community than violence.<\/h3>\n

It was Sunday morning when the team met up at Palmeiras, a cable car station in Alem\u00e3o, to record another episode of The Adventures of 100g and Jurubeba<\/a>, the first YouTube comedy channel created by Complexo do Alem\u00e3o<\/a> residents. The idea is to portray the lives of young people in the community and show as much of normal everyday life as possible so viewers identify with the comedy.<\/p>\n

To do this, Allexandre Ferreira, 20, created the character 100g and Samuel Silva, 19, plays Jurubeba. The two young men are studying theater with the Alma N\u00e3o Tem Cor (Soul Has No Colour) project at the Alem\u00e3o library by the cable car<\/a> station. Allexandre, born and raised in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o, works as a doorman and, despite\u00a0always hearing he could do well in comedy, he is very shy and never thought about being an actor. His interest was piqued after learning about the theater school in the community from one of his neighbors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe learned how to act and what it’s like to be in a show. After some lessons we had more courage to make videos. We were super shy, even if we didn\u2019t show it,\u201d he admits.<\/p>\n

\"Samuel<\/a><\/p>\n

Born in Jo\u00e3o Pessoa, in the state of Para\u00edba, Samuel came to Rio de Janeiro as a young child and has hung out with Allexandre since the age of seven. Besides\u00a0acting in the videos, he works as a delivery man in Tijuca, the same area where his long-time friend works. The teenager says that when he met Allexandre, the Rio-native greeted\u00a0him with a light knuckle to the head called ‘moca,’\u00a0a kind of teasing that hadn\u2019t reached Para\u00edba at the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time we met he gave me a welcome knuckle to the head,\u201d he recalls, chuckling.<\/p>\n

Two weeks into their theater classes, the boys recorded their first video entitled ‘Bread.’ Since they are neighbors, Samuel goes to Allexandre\u2019s almost every morning for breakfast and it was over one breakfast that they\u00a0came up with the idea of creating a\u00a0sketch\u00a0with that\u00a0theme. Despite being very simple, the channel has generated a huge number\u00a0of views on social media and has even caught the attention of two producers.<\/p>\n

The director is Leonardo Franca, a 19-year-old marketing student, and the audiovisual production is the responsibility of\u00a0cameraman and photographer Bruno Alcantara, 27. They are both residents of the group of favelas that make up Complexo do Alem\u00e3o and already knew each other from other projects. Their interest in creating a comedy channel was born out of watching a video posted by the double-act.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter talking it over a lot, we created the YouTube channel<\/a>, the Facebook page<\/a>, and the marketing images. The recordings don\u2019t have any external funding. The materials, cameras and everything else we use are funded solely by us. We trust their talent,\u201d comments Leonardo.<\/p>\n

The scenes are all recorded outside, in the streets\u00a0of the favela. Each video lasts around two to three minutes. Leonardo says the ideas for each episode are born out of inspiration from everyday life. Any situation from their daily lives can turn into a new idea for the channel and everyone\u00a0who\u00a0participates in the project is free to make suggestions.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone has an idea, the whole group analyzes it and once everyone approves, we go out to film. We all write, we all have ideas,\u201d Bruno says.<\/p>\n

The deal was\u00a0that the actors would\u00a0come up with nicknames\u00a0before they started filming. After spending a day on the beach, Allexandre was nicknamed 100g\u00a0by his friends because of\u00a0his physique. Samuel\u2019s nickname was more random. It needed to be decided\u00a0quickly and Jurubeba was one of those weird names that just came to mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came up with so many, each one worse than the last until we came up with Jurubeba and it just stuck and it’s great,\u201d the actor says.<\/p>\n

\"Allexandre<\/a><\/p>\n

When asked whether they are recognized in the street, Allexandre smiles widely then says he gives out many autographs\u2014they have fans and are famous even outside of Brazil. \u201cYes, many times already. I give autographs! In Tijuca, where I work, they already recognize me from the videos. There is a girl from France who is our number one fan! She even came here to Complexo do Alem\u00e3o to see us!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was at church and the pastor took my name down and\u00a0introduced the visitors. When he got to my name, he exclaimed, \u2018Samuel, also known as Jurubeba!\u2019 The whole church turned to look at me. I sat down slowly and felt my face going red.\u00a0 It was really awkward, you know?\u201d recalls Samuel.<\/p>\n

Despite their growing fame, 100g and Jurubeba have faced\u00a0some difficult challenges\u00a0in trying to film their adventures in the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was with a friend when the police arrived. They searched me and found my cap [the one he uses to play the character 100g]. Even though we hadn\u2019t done anything wrong, they took us down to the station. We spent almost two hours there until they let\u00a0us go. There was another day as well when me and Samuel were waiting for a theater class to start in an open area of the station and we were asked to leave the area. They said we were blocking the view of the traffic.”<\/p>\n

Eduardo Silveira works as a truck driver; he takes\u00a0theater classes in his spare time and says it is an honor to create sketches\u00a0with the boys. It was he who, through\u00a0a special cameo, gave life to the character of Bernadete, a neighbor who throws pots at the heads of anyone who tries to steal anything from her yard. \u201cIt is an honor to be part of a project where I have a chance to be able to contribute. It is important that young people see something else of our community,” he says.<\/p>\n

\"100g<\/a><\/p>\n

One of those present at the recording was Jason Scott, representative of the University of Colorado. The American, who lives in Alvorada in Complexo do Alem\u00e3o, participated in one of the scenes. “I am living in the community and I like to be a part of everything. I watched the videos, I found them funny and I offered to help out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before closing the interview, Allexandre and Samuel asked us to mention that they are single and have\u00a0an announcement for the residents of Complexo do Alem\u00e3o: “They can expect new episodes. We want everyone to keep watching our videos, they get funnier with every episode. Subscribe to our channel<\/a>, and ladies, add me on Facebook! It\u2019s Allexandre Ferreira, Allexandre with two Ls,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe ask for the help of the community to share our videos. People only see shootings and deaths in the papers. We are here to show that there are many talented people and we\u2019re not just criminals\u00a0like many people think. Our humor is clean and light without swearing or pornography. We need a lot of help from residents to contribute. Please share our videos and subscribe to our channel<\/a>,\u201d says Samuel.<\/p>\n

The videos are published every Tuesday on the YouTube channel, As Aventuras de 100g e Jurubeba<\/a>.<\/p>\n

First teaser from The Adventures of 100g and Jurubeba:<\/h3>\n