RIO DE JANEIRO - CARNIVAL UNDER FIRE

In this portrait, Ruy Castro draws on Rio’s past, showing that even in periods of comparative calm, there has always been a palpable excitement in the air - the feeling of a carnival under fire. Occupying what is arguably the most breathtakingly beautiful site in the world, the people of Rio - the cariocas - tell their stories - of cannibals charming European intellectuals; of elegant slaves and their shabby masters; of how a casual chat between two people drinking coffee on Avenida Rio Branco could affect world coffee markets; of an awesome beach life; of favelas, drugs, police, carnival, football and music.