At this point in its history, everything Netflix releases becomes an instant hit, regardless of the genre. However, it is a fact that its productions based on true stories tend to attract the most viewership, and now the streamer is aiming to impact viewers once again with a Brazilian drama series of four episodes titled “Children of the Church Steps”.
The title revolves around Douglas, Sete, Jesus, and Pipoca, four young Brazilians living on the sidewalks of downtown Rio. They have dreams and hopes filled with strength despite living and sleeping on the streets. It aims to showcase a side of the country that is not always seen, as, according to its production director Luis Lomenha for O Globo, “the region is underrepresented in the audiovisual sector.”
In this same conversation, creators Márcia Faria and Luis Lomenha discussed the inspiration for the series, which is rooted in a well-known tragedy that occurred in 1993. Here, learn about the true story behind “Children of the Church Steps”.
Delving into the true story behind Netflix’s ‘Children of the Church Steps’
As revealed by its creators and Netflix, “Children of the Church Steps” is based on the Candelária massacre, a mass killing that took place in Rio de Janeiro at the start of the 1990s. During the night of July 23, eight homeless people, including six minors, were killed beside the Candelária Church. Most of the assailants were members of the police and faced trial, but only two were convicted.
The religious building became well-known for aiding street children, not only providing them with a place to sleep at night but also offering food, shelter, education, and religious guidance. However, there was a dark side to this situation: the minors began to get involved in crimes such as illegal drug trade, pickpocketing, and robbery.
The specifics of the massacre, according to survivors, began on the morning of July 22, when a group of children threw stones at police cars. As the policemen never apprehended them beyond giving a warning, the children were far from thinking that a deadly threat would follow.
At midnight, several Chevrolet Chevette cars with covered license plates stopped at the church and began shooting at approximately seventy street children sleeping outside. The situation shocked the world, with many political leaders and influential figures calling for the prosecution of those responsible.
Directors Márcia Faria and Luis Lomenha explained that “Children of the Church Steps” tells the story of the 36 hours leading up to the massacre through the lives of the young characters at the center of the series. For this, they sought help and testimonies from survivors, who emphasized in every conversation how much they dreamed of a better future.
However, they also wanted to highlight that the goal of the production is to distance itself from the sensationalism that productions based on true stories often exhibit . Lomenha stated that their creation “is not a series about need. And it’s not about the massacre, it’s about the power of childhood,” while Faria added, “The scripts don’t exactly focus on violence. It’s there (underlying) because it was a brutal tragedy. But the fact that it’s from the children’s point of view, 36 hours before the massacre, and that we follow their lives, their dreams, and their desires humanizes it.”