The police force in Rio is much more corrupt compared to First World countries. I had to come to terms with the fact that one day it may be alright for me to be there, whereas the next day it wasn’t. Within the favelas the common law doesn’t count; their own rules exist. I didn’t get in touch with any police in Rio, of course I saw them, but to get access into the favelas I needed to reach out to the local criminals. There are five big criminal organisations. The only one I got in touch with were members of Comando Vermelho (CV); one of the main ones. Every organisation marks its territory, so you immediately know who belongs to which one, as surreal as it sounds. But I tried not to look too deep into the organisations as it wasn’t my main aim of focus. That would be too predictable, it’s what people expect when they know you are documenting favelas. There are hundreds of existing favelas still present in Rio, and the safety of each one depends on where they are based. Some are pacified of the police, some aren’t. I visited Complexo do Alemão, Santo Amaro, Madureira, Rocinha, Vidigal, and Cantagalo; I didn’t feel unsafe.