Chega De Fiu Fiu

Synopsis

Inspired by Brazilian feminist blogger and Think Olga founder Juliana de Faria’s “Chega de Fiu Fiu” campaign (a crowdfunded effort to end gender-based abuse, launched four years ago), this electrifying, eye-opening documentary brings to light an issue that few men ever bother to ponder. Specifically, it exposes the culture of “catcalls” that women must endure when navigating the streets of São Paulo, Brasília, and other areas where verbal and physical harassment have become an increasingly prominent part of daily life. Besides de Faria, many other social activists (including Chega de Fiu Fiu’s co-directors Fernanda Frazao and Amanda Kamanchek Lemos) are seeking to make public spaces safe for women, and have called on urban planners and local governments to rethink the design of cities while ensuring access to safe transportation alternatives and well-illuminated pedestrian routes. Turning their lens toward three representative individuals, each from a different part of Brazil, the filmmakers give their empowered subjects an opportunity to speak for themselves; from Raquel, a black manicurist and nursing student, to Teresa, a white history teacher, to Rosa, a trans woman artist who deals not only with objectifying catcalls but also with demoralizing hate speech. Asking audiences to look at the world through the eyes of these women (presented by way of hidden-camera footage), Chega de Fiu Fiu makes a crucial contribution to the Time’s Up Movement and is essential viewing for anyone who believes that cities belong to all of its inhabitants, regardless of their gender.