Who Killed Pixote?

Brazilian filmmaker Jose Jofilly's blunt, fact-based cautionary tale follows the sad, short life of Fernando Ramos de Silva, a street child from one of Rio de Janeiro's notorious favelas who was plucked briefly from obscurity to star in Hector Babenco's PIXOTE (1981 ), and spent the rest of his life trying to recapture his moment of glory. Rio, 1980: Ten-year-old Fernando (Thiago Vidal), already familiar with hustling a living on the streets, is photographed by a talent scout and hired to play a street urchin in a gritty film about lost slum children. With his wide eyes and gamine charm, cute little Fernando captivates critics and moviegoers; PIXOTE becomes a...