Paraisópolis (2009)

It's the name of one of São Paulo's largest slums. It was the first place I visited after landing in Brazil for the very first time. Although I was staying at a friend's house in one of the affluent neighbourhoods surrounding this favela, I felt compelled to visit Paraisópolis. On one hand, there was this enigmatic name—Paradise City; on the other, numerous references in the news, often for the most troubling reasons: drug trafficking, kidnappings, and shootings. How could such a place be called paradise?

It didn’t take long for me to decide to spend a few days walking around the favela with my 4x5 camera, always mounted on a tripod and carried on my right shoulder. This well-known old trick made me feel almost invisible (was I really?)—or, to put it better, it allowed me to find a passage to the “other side of the mirror,” much like Alice often did in her beloved Wonderland.

Shot on both sides of the mirror, this is my account of three months spent in Brazil, documenting my own crossings into Wonderland. These passages were found not only in Paraisópolis, but also in other parts of this beautiful country, where I also had the chance to spend some time: Rio de Janeiro, Brasília and São Salvador da Bahia.

Words and photographs © Pedro Guimarães.