Chácara Paraíso, São Paulo, is the location of the largest center of soldier’s education of the Military Police in Latin America.  Every day, more that 2000 soldiers learn how to march, approach, and attack there. There is even a favela-simulation-set for policemen to rehearse and simulate incidences that are, according to them, “as close to reality as possible”. Can the police actually simulate crime? Can artists represent the police?

The theatre directors Lola Arias (Argentina), and Stefan Kaegi (Germany/Switzerland), who are working together for the first time, visited the police-centers for education and training, the graduation ceremonies, the centers of psychological assistance, cavalries, the Musical Body, and even the Military Police’s chapel, in São Paulo. During this research, a heterogeneous and amazing image of the police institute arose, a society within society.

Chácara Paraíso [Small farm Paradise] was the name chosen for a form of installation that mingles documentary and fiction, showing biographies of people who, at some point of their lives, experienced the police universe. The play challenges the public’s perception, for it questions the fast distinction between “good” and “bad”.

The empty space on the 14th floor of the SESC in Avenida Paulista, now under renovation, will be filled with art by people (not actors). They reconstruct autobiographical scenes that, at times, may appear fictional. The public will walk through the rooms in small groups. With this, the live exhibit aims to create an intimate and subjective experience with policemen, former policemen, and their families. Here policemen are challenged to speak in a way they are not allowed to in their position as guardians of law and order: Here they speak in first person.

Credits

With 17 Policemen and former police from the city of São Paulo.

Text and direction Lola Arias and Stefan Kaegi
Artistic collaboration and directing assistant Cristiane Zuan Estevez
Second assistant Manuela Alfonso
Video editing Marilia Halla
Production Interior producciones: Matías Pees y Ricardo Muniz Fernandez

A coproduction of Goethe Institut Sao Paulo and SESC, Av Paulista.

SOKO SAO PAULO

A new version of Chácara paraíso with german and brazilian policemen.

São Paolo is one of the most dangerous places in the world. Munich is the most secure city in Germany. In January 2007 the Swiss specialist in documentary theatre Stefan Kaegi and the Argentine author and stage director Lola Arias developed together with 17 Brazilian policemen a scenic installation in São Paulo. Now six of these Brazilian policemen go to Germany to meet their Munich colleagues. SOKO SÃO PAULO is a scenic installation, in which Brazilian and German policemen reconstruct their experiences as representatives of the law and then play football against each other.

With Isabel Cristina Amaro, Thago de Paula Santos Alves, Marcel Lima, Pedro Amorim, Sebastião Teixeira dos Santos, Ellana Gombes Viana Pires, Rudi Baier, Verena Kunze, Klaus Röschinger, Bennie Baumann, Johann Beck

Special guest Günther Koch (football reporter)
Production SPIELART-FactoryMünchen
Coproduction ORTSTERMINE 2007, Kulturreferat der Landeshauptstadt München and Goethe Institut São Paulo

Supported by Kulturstiftung des Bundes.