Brand New “Elite Squad” Poster

The new poster for José Padilha directed drama “The Elite Squad” (Tropa de Elite) has been released.

The film won the Golden Bear award for the best movie at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival to the surprise of some critics who questioned the jury’s methods.

“Elite Squad” looks at the shady workings of Rio’s Special Operations Police Battalion, faced an unsuccessful attempt by some officers to keep it out of theaters at the time of its release last year. It has since become a box-office hit in Brazil.

It is not a documentary, but claims to tell the true stories of 12 former officers from the black-uniformed paramilitary unit whose very insignia - a dagger-impaled skull - strikes fear into residents of Rio’s shanty towns. Human rights groups have claimed the squad, which battles with armed drug gangs, fires indiscriminately. Read the rest of this entry