Why the caged bird sings

Directed by Douglas R. Bernardt and produced by Stink Brazil, this epic 15-minute film grips from the first frame. A black screen; an unnerving horror-movie soundscape; panicked shouting builds and the first line drops – “just kill me, choke me again.”

Titled Sonho, which means ‘dream’, the film is a joint venture between AKQA\Coala.LAB and boasts arresting cinematography from Pierre de Kerchove. It is based on the musician’s real-life story and opens in the juvenile detention centre where Bala was first incarcerated aged 12, and where he first started humming the melody of the song Sonho. 

Now, 12 years later he is releasing his debut album, Da Boca do Lixo, named after the deprived São Paulo neighbourhood where he grew up. 

Capturing the brutality of incarceration and the haunted eyes of children without hope, the film references the corruption of the state, “who better than the oppressed to understand the terrible meaning of an oppressive society.” 

But as the story unfolds and Bala grows and makes peace with his younger self, the film moves beyond the confines of the facility to celebrate how Brazilian music and dance, with its rich African heritage, is capable of changing lives. 

It ultimately carries a message of hope and the power of positive dreams: "Freedom will come. The sky will open, the sun won’t shine between the bars."