RIO BREAKS follows the story of two best friends, Fabio and Nama, as they navigate their way between

life in the slums and the joys of surfing on their favorite beach. Their goal: to win the contest and become

sponsored surfers.

Thirteen-year-old Fabio and 12-year-old Nama live at Favela do Pavao, an enormous slum near Arpoador

Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Pavao is home to the Red Command, one of Rio’s most heavily armed

drug gangs. While the drug trade boss is often in his twenties, most of the soldiers on the ground are

teenagers the same age as Fabio and Nama.

Fabio lives in an area of the favela called Vietnam, the poorest and most violent part of the slum. Without

a mom or a dad, Fabio is a prime candidate to join CV and become yet another gun-toting teenager

involved in Rio’s drugs war. In fact, he already shows worrying signs: mouthing off to the police, bullying

younger surfers and threatening Nama.

Nama lives around the corner from Fabio. Born under a bridge where he lived until he was three, he and

his family moved to the favela 9 years ago.

What will happen to these best friends? Will any of them win the contest?

Will their own relationship survive Fabio's aggressive personality?

Can surfing offer a way out for Fabio or will he follow in the footsteps of his dad and join the drug gang?

This is the story of RIO BREAKS.