In Nina Jurna's old house in Rio now lives a drug dealer's son and you'd better not point a camera at him

Nina Jurna, a long-time correspondent in Brazil, explores the stark contrasts of Rio de Janeiro in her new documentary series, Onze vrouw in Rio. Drawing on her fifteen years of residency, including time spent raising her children in a favela, Jurna provides an insider perspective on the city. The debut episode highlights the inherent dangers of the favelas, where residents must navigate the presence of armed gang members and heavy surveillance. Even Jurna, who once lived in these neighborhoods, encounters nervousness from locals when trying to film near her former home, now occupied by the son of a drug dealer.

Contrasting this volatility, Jurna also visits the affluent district of Copacabana to interview local personalities like Narcisa. Living in a luxury penthouse, these residents experience a vastly different reality than those in the hills. Through these varied encounters, the series illustrates the extreme social divide within the city, ultimately finding a common ground only on the beaches where all citizens of Rio are treated as equals.