Brazil is a talent factory, bo in front and behind the cameras, says Stephen Daldry

Helmed by British director Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Hours and The Reader), the picture is based on Andrew Mulligan s best-seller about three boys who live in a dumpster. One day they find a wallet filled with incriminating documents. Adventure and danger ensue, as the authorities try to keep the documents secret. Filming is supported by Filme Rio-Rio Film Commission.

The cast includes Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now, The Spectacular Spiderman and Catch Me If You Can), Rooney Mara (Side Effects,The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network), Wagner Moura (Elysium, Elite Squad, O Homem do Futuro) and Selton Mello (O Palha o, A Mulher Invis vel, Meu Nome N o Johnny).The three leads are played by newcomers Rickson Tevez, Eduardo Luis and Gabriel Weinstein.

Filming in Rio continues through October and so far exteriors have been shot mainly in the Catumbi district. FR-RFC was on the set August 20th, when work focused on the kids escape and run through the streets after having barely escaped a trap set up by the cops. Once the day s shooting was done, director Stephen Daldry took the time to chat. During the conversation, he discusses filming in Rio, praises the quality of the Brazilian cast and crew and explains how the city s spirit is giving Mulligan s story a different slant.

You have previously stated that the idea of filming Trash in Brazil was in your mind since the very beginning. Why?

I ve been kindly invited to Festival do Rio several times and I always wanted to come. I have many close Brazilian friends in London and of course I am a big fan of Brazilian movies the most obvious ones, I must admit. Trash s story doesn t happen in any place in particular, though it s based on Andy Mulligan s own experiences in Brazil, India and the Philippines. We had to choose between one of these places. For many reasons, Brazil seemed like the obvious choice. Mainly because of the incredible acting talent you have here. We knew there was a tradition here of finding young, inexperienced actors who, given a context, would be able not only to act but to develop artistically. We ve also known (director and O2 principal) Fernando Meirelles for a long time, we re big fans of his and have seen great acting done thanks to him. So, there were many obvious reasons to come to Brazil. Personally, I have a long-lasting fascination with this country. Not just for its films, but also for the exuberance of most of its people. So, the idea of an opportunity to work here seemed too good to pass on.

Filming started a few weeks ago. What s it like filming in Rio?

The crew is incredibly professional, which is great relief. They are experienced with working with young actors who are not necessarily trained professionals. They have patience and appreciate their efforts and difficulties, which is of great benefit both to the crew and to the cast. So far we ve only shoot outdoors, on the streets, and I found it very easy to work in Rio. I ve worked on the streets of Berlin, London, New York, and New York, for instance, can be a lot harder, people sometimes are very negative. But here people are very keen, they want to know what s going on, they get very excited by a film set, they show genuine interest. So, it s all been fun. But this is today, I can t say about tomorrow. But so far it s been great shooting on Rio streets.

And how do you rate Filme Rio-Rio Film Commission s support?

It s been crucial for us and I think it s fantastic that Filme Rio-Rio Film Commission has joined the project. We re looking forward to the future, when there ll be a formal agreement between Great Britain and Brazil in terms of film production and financing, and I think that will make a big difference in the relationship between both countries. Plus, Festival do Rio and London s British Film Institute are entering agreements that will provide for training programs for youths in both countries, which is part of this larger relationship that is being developed between Great Britain and Brazil. The agreement will make it possible to film more co-productions here. And certainly, again, given the extraordinary talent you find here, it would be great if more co-productions were to happen and that more people from Brazil could work in England, or more people from there could be encouraged to work here, as a result of this cooperation agreement. So, we are thrilled with FR-RFC s and Festival do Rio s support and I hope we ll have more from the London British Film Institute now.

Based on your experience, what are the challenges of filming in Brazil?

As opposed to any other place? To me, the greatest problem is that everything is in Portuguese, and I don t speak Portuguese (laughs). I can t lie, my biggest challenge is that my Portuguese is not good enough. And I admit it s all my fault. I am taking a self-taught course .Since filming started , I should be studying one hour a day, so my Portuguese would have improved, and I am ashamed to say that is not the case. But that has been the only thing that seems problematic to me.

So, no difficulties, whatsoever? Nothing that could have been better?

Well, there s a degree of institutional bureaucracy within Brazilian culture that I hear is a challenge for several departments of this production. But as a director, though they might be having problems, I am not. I acknowledge their difficulties in wading through this red tape, but my experience protects me from all of this. Another point is that laws regarding the work of child actors here are much more limiting than in the United States which is not necessarily a bad thing. But it s interesting that there are more restrictions as to how long a child can work and how they can work, both in films and in theater. It s interesting and, again, I don t say it s a bad thing.

On the other hand, what are the biggest advantages of filmi

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