Behave

Well–known Brazilian filmmaker Maria Ramos made this provocative film about juvenile delinquents who end up before a special youth court for their wrongdoings. Every day a charismatic judge deals with dozens of cases ranging from minor misdemeanours to serious crimes. The director spends a number of days with her in the court and compiles a rich mosaic of young sinners, their parents and representatives of the justice system for her film. Brazilian law does not allow the faces of children younger than 18 to be filmed during court proceedings. The director gets around this by shooting the actual trial from behind the children's backs and then supplementing this footage with acted passages. This remarkable documentary does not moralize or make judgements. Rather it asks questions regarding the extent to which children's behaviour is influenced by the environment they grow up in.