Killer Ratings (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - The Accusation - full transcript

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY SERIES

Manaus is the capital
of the Amazon State.

We are a river state.

Many of our cities

can only be reached by boat.

We are an island of concrete

in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

We are on a drug trafficking route.

Today, our city...

is a murder capital.

The main problem is the drug trafficking.



The city became a hub

for the movement of drugs.

Manaus ended up becoming
a very violent city...

because of the fight for territory.

And it was here

that the Wallace case took place.

The Wallace case was exceptional.

Many do not believe

that what happened was even possible.

Such outrageous events,

so momentous.

The case was so surreal

that it felt like a horror movie.

It was completely crazy.



It was a mystery
that gripped the whole country.

And only one person knew the truth...

Wallace Souza.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
AMAZON STATE

This is the route I take every day.

Let's go down the elevator.

It's arriving now.

Come with me.

FILMED IN 2009

Okay, dear, thank you.
Bye. Have a good afternoon.

- When you're ready.
- We're ready.

Three, two, one...

Here in Manaus we had an issue with gangs.

Some call them street gangs.

These gangs were responsible
for most murders.

A family man would get out of a night bus
and be killed for a cigarette.

Manaus was cursed by this violence.

I said, "I'll see if I can make a TV show
to combat this."

And I started a crime show.

It's time to rumble!

In Canal Livre's unwavering fight
against crime.

OCTOBER 16, 2000

I want to start the show today

with the issue of gangs, which we have
discussed so much here on the show.

It is becoming more and more unbearable.

Honest families in our city need peace.

And I started to get involved
with police work.

I followed police operations.

It was very dangerous...

to go with him on these assignments.

CAMERAMAN - CANAL LIVRE

At the time, he didn't have a team.

He drove his own car.

It was just the two of us.

He would tip the police off about a gang

and then we would follow the police
to cover the arrest.

When we were following the police,

some guys started shooting.

The police started shooting!

A heavy shootout.

A firefight between the police
and the criminals.

But since we were so close to the police,

it was very risky for us.

Never in the history of journalism
in the Amazon

had anyone been brave enough
to show these things,

because everybody was scared.

Manel, I remember a crime you committed.

You murdered a citizen
in front of a child.

I don't want to kill anyone else.

I promise to God
that I will never kill again.

And the street gangs
started to fear him.

The gangs started to leave.

When he got there,

people would clap when they saw him.

They liked him a lot.

They really liked him.

People who had issues with crime

started looking for me at the TV station

to help solve other crimes.

It snowballed.

He started to become
defender of the people.

He became a hero in people's eyes.

DIRECTOR - CANAL LIVRE

When the show first aired,

we didn't have many reporters.

Wallace was the first.

He is on the most-wanted list.

Accused of drug trafficking.

There's probably
a lot of other stuff here.

Wallace fought against
drug trafficking and criminals.

And it spread by word of mouth.

The show grew and grew.

We hired more reporters.

It wasn't nine to five.

I lived for the show.

People went to the show
to denounce crimes.

People thought the show
was just like the police.

People never stopped calling.

Back then, who were the heroes?

It was Canal Livre.

It was early morning.

The phone rang.

The police themselves tipped us off.

And we sent a crew to report.

It smells like barbecue.

Yes, my friend. It's here. Look.

Here is the body.

In fact, there's still smoke. Look.

It's a male.

The body hasn't been identified yet.

It was always traumatizing.

We would feel very upset
in situations like that.

It was a barbaric crime,

but it became routine for us.

It made Wallace angry.

Unfortunately,
that's the daily life in Manaus.

We have three murders.

We're going to show you
some very graphic images now.

Really graphic, unfortunately.

But that's the style of the show.
We don't sweep things under the carpet.

The images are shocking.

The crime took place around 3:00 p.m.

The police are investigating,
but they don't really know what happened.

Exclusively to Canal Livre.

Every crime reporter knew the show...

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST

...because they always
got the news firsthand.

Back then, as a rookie,
I always wanted to break stories.

The fact that they always arrived

first on the scene,
filming the corpses on the ground...

Everybody here knew him.

He wouldn't do anything to anyone.

The family crying over a dead body,

the neighbors all stunned...

That definitely increased his ratings.

Wallace was very good at what he did.

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST

Why? Because he had a lot of sources.

He was a former cop,

and he kept that old friendship with cops.

The first tips received

went straight to him.

Before Canal Livre,

I had never seen a dead person.

And I would see everything.

Things the audience
was not allowed to see,

I was obliged to watch.

Corpses... blood...

It was difficult...

to get used to.
Actually, I never got used to it.

We were always called sensationalists.

In reality, we just wanted to help.

Canal Livre
was the community's emergency line.

Since the government didn't provide,

the show was there to play its part.

Despite the fact
that we dealt with criminality,

there was also a good side.

Sometimes there would be people crying,

other times, there would be humor.

It was really cool because of that.

Over to you, Dom Xicote.

It's time for music
on the Canal Livre stage.

The singer with the "perfumed panties,"
Paulo Aquino!

I was living in a condo...

PRODUCER - CANAL LIVRE

...and I remember watching the show,

and there was an echo.

I turned down the volume,
but it carried on.

I thought,
"Maybe it's the living room TV."

But it wasn't.

Then, I looked through the window.

Everyone was tuned in to Canal Livre.

Everybody was watching it.

It was a phenomenon. Extraordinary.

At lunchtime, everybody would stop
to watch Canal Livre.

It was number one in the ratings.

It was hard to know why,

because it was a chaotic show.

It was totally spontaneous.

Anything could happen.

And now an exclusive... Wanderley Modesto.

There's something going on here and now
on Canal Livre,

which we're going to show you.
This lady here...

She is a little nervous. What happened?

The man who killed my son is over there.

The man who killed your son is here?

Grab him. Don't let him go!

Bring him here.

Is this the man who killed your son?

Where else does this kind of thing happen?

Nowhere!

Who'd want to miss a story like that?

It was completely crazy.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

There were neighbors fighting,
pulling each other's hair out.

They pulled it so hard,
there were locks of hair on the floor.

Wallace had fun on the show.

Wallace loved the little puppet character.

Armed, are you? Look at that!

I'm here to be your security.

Gil, The Pie-Man, sold sfihas.

He was always in the audience.

He was a guy who took everything
very seriously.

He wouldn't put up with
the puppet poking fun at him.

A big fight started
between the puppet and Gil.

Right there, on air. The puppeteer!

Wallace thought it was hilarious.

Oh, man!

It shouldn't have been called Canal Livre.
It should've been called The Life Show.

But what kind of life?

Life in the poor areas, right?

I came here to beg you.

I need two new tires,

because mine are all worn out.

- And this is how I make a living.
- One of our sponsors...

will give you the two tires.

You can relax, okay?

Many people benefited from the program.

There were people that would sometimes
ask for food on the show.

Food.

There were people who needed everything.

They had no sanitation,

no access to education...

no help from the government.

They had nothing.

The show played its part.

I started working at Canal Livre in 1997.

I started as a sound man. I was the DJ.

Wallace paid my university fees.

I always saw Wallace as a role model.

He wanted to help so many people...

he looked after so many people...

And that's how everything
ended up happpening.

I had this tattooed here.

It's his signature.

I wanted to mark on my skin
what he means to me.

Against my mom's will.

She doesn't like it!

But I did it anyway.

I think it's a fair tribute.

WALLACE'S SON

Maybe people will want to talk now.

They can start telling the truth.

He was always with us.

He never stopped paying attention
to his children.

He was a very good father.

He came from a very humble family.

He spent a few years as a cop,

then he became a reporter.

His favorite brother was Ulisses.

He had a great bond with Ulisses.

Ulisses was a drug addict.

We lost my uncle to drugs.

Losing Ulisses left Wallace devastated.

WALLACE'S SISTER

He said it was like a piece of him
had been taken away,

as if it had been torn off.

If there's one thing that makes me sick,

really nauseous,

it's drug dealers.

Wallace didn't hide his anger.

There's only way
to stop drug dealers: bullets.

Bullets and the grave.

That's all they deserve.

He knew what the drug trade could do,

so he understood in his gut
how people felt

when they lost a child to drugs.

Wallace had credibility with people.

The population was fed up

with drug dealers and criminals.

They needed someone fearless,

who could put an end to all that.

That's when he decided to turn

to politics.

He had dreams of changing things.

He told me, "I'm going to be a candidate.
I'm going to make a difference."

And I'd say,

"And now, right here with you...

CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR

...the all-time top of TV ratings
in the Amazon State. He is coming.

Wallace Souza!"

And people would go wild,

clapping their hands.

How many of you here watch Canal Livre?

Most of you watch the show.

The girls went completely crazy.

"Wallace, I love you. I adore you.
You have my vote.

Our family will vote for you."

We'll make a pact
with every one of you

to reduce violence.

He rode the wave of popular acclaim.

It was a phenomenon.

He was the top-voted representative.

The state representative
with the most votes in history.

In his first election,
he won the most votes in Manaus.

In his second election,
he had the most votes.

In his third election,
Wallace got the most votes.

It was incredible.

WALLACE'S BROTHER

WALLACE'S BROTHER

He called Carlos,
and Carlos joined the show.

And soon Fausto joined too.

Everybody knew them
as the Courage Brothers.

Not the Souza Brothers,
but the Courage Brothers.

Good afternoon.

Before long, Carlos was elected
as city councilor.

Again, with the most votes
in the history of the State.

And later he was elected
a federal congressman.

Wallace Souza and Carlos Souza
are warriors.

Wallace and Carlos were gaining
political power.

They were getting stronger all the time.

The last campaign was in 2008.

It gave me goosebumps,
because it was a mad frenzy.

Wallace, it's a decisive moment.

Very emotional, isn't it?

Sure, but it's gratifying

to see the people rewarding
our work and our principles.

It was like

he was the one who would save the city.

I had 52,000 votes.

Proportionally, more votes
than any state representative in Brazil.

And that bothers a lot of people.

This is bulletproof.

I have to travel like this
because of the death threats.

I need a bulletproof car.

He had a great hunger for justice

to try to solve things.

I think he made many friends,
but also many enemies.

I think I'm one
of the most threatened men in the State.

I'm afraid of being killed.

When I leave home,

I ask God to allow me to go to work
and come back alive.

And He has done that. Thank God.

He used to leave the house very early,
around six in the morning.

And I already knew there was a chance
of him not returning home.

He always prepared us for that.

The criminals didn't like my father.

NOVEMBER 9, 2005

Wednesday, early morning,

a criminal, a thug,

has taken a family hostage,
including a child.

He is threatening to kill the whole family
if the police try to touch him.

The kidnapper didn't trust the police.

He was afraid of being killed.

He said, "I'll only leave with
the Representative Wallace Souza."

Wallace was at home.
He got dressed and went there.

The guy was holding the family hostage.
Wallace spoke to him.

The guy said, "If you can guarantee
my life, I'll come out."

So Wallace went into the house
and came out with him.

Representative Wallace is now a hostage.

The guy comes down with a gun on Wallace
and they get into the car.

Wallace was really scared.

They've demanded that Wallace
stay in the car

until they get to the jail.

He wanted to leave with Wallace...

so nothing bad would happen to him
on the way.

In Brazil, these things happen.

A moment of huge tension.

And we're here trying to follow them.

The officer just told me
that they are armed.

A very tense moment.

It's dangerous. Even for us.

A gunshot. A gunshot. Oh, my God.

It seems that a shot was fired over there.

It seems like a shot. My God.

We don't know what's going on.

My God, the Representative is alright.

We can relax. He's okay.

Our crew can also relax. He's alright.

He hasn't been shot.

He's calm.

They freed Representative Wallace!

They've just released him right now!

Representative,
you went through a tough time,

exchanged yourself for the family...

Did you use your experience as a cop?

I tried to remain calm.

They wanted to go to jail, but on the way
they changed their mind.

The hunt for the criminals will continue.

Wallace went to the police station
to give his statement.

And then he went straight to the show.

The kidnapping case

really boosted his image.

A politician who put

his own life at risk

to save someone else.

That scene got a lot of airtime.

Wallace presented himself as a savior.

He was going to solve all the issues.

The lack of security,
the violence in Manaus.

He said he had the solution.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
AMAZON STATE

Honorable Chairman,
fellow representatives,

unfortunately, Manaus is facing
a wave of violence...

His political career was clearly set out.

Wallace would either have been
secretary of security or state governor.

A lot of people had a vested interest
in stopping him.

A lot of people.

He knew he had a lot of enemies
due to his criticisms.

If the intelligence department

was careful enough to locate

criminals, gangs, drug traffickers,

I'm sure Manaus would be much safer.

This kind of criticism...

displeased many people.

And in Brazil, it can be dangerous

to go against the system.

They were messing with the prestige
of very important people

and that had to stop.

It had to stop.

Wallace got everyone together.

He was very tense.

He was going to denounce
someone very important.

He said,
"I am messing with some big fish...

things are going to get rough."

These were Wallace's words: "From now on,

all hell is going to break loose over me."

OCTOBER 20, 2008

I always liked to combat drug trafficking.

POLICE INVESTIGATOR

We got an anonymous call tipping us off.

We were told that there was
a former military policeman...

and that he was a very dangerous person.

We arrived at the location
around 9:00 a.m.

and stayed for about three hours,
monitoring comings and goings.

And we confirmed that there was
drug dealing going on.

There was a building site next door
with a ladder.

When we jumped down...

- What's that?
- Police!

Open the door!

Open the door!

Police! Stop what you're doing!

We decided to do a search...

There was a huge amount of drugs,

several knives,

two guns.

That itself constituted a crime.

He tried to bribe us by offering money.

And said he'd give us 10,000 reais
if we didn't arrest him.

The team asked him

how he would get that kind of money.

He said he wouldn't pay himself.
It would come from his boss.

He was terrified of being arrested.

He said, "I have many enemies in jail.

If you arrest me, I will be killed."

To us, it was a normal arrest.

A routine matter.

I received a call that afternoon.

SECRETARY OF INTELLIGENCE

"Thomaz, the Anti-Drug Unit
just arrested Moacir."

And I said, "Who's Moacir?"

"Moacir Jorge Pessoa da Costa."

I said, "I don't know who that is."

Moa.

Moacir was a former
Military Police officer

who was expelled from the force.

At that time, in 2008, he was already
facing charges for nine homicides.

Moa was brought to my office.

He was asking the following:

"Look, I need special treatment.

I need to be put in a cell of my own
or in a military prison.

If you put me with ordinary prisoners,
I will be killed."

"But what makes you
such a special prisoner?"

Then he started to talk.

What he said left us perplexed.

We were shocked

and worried.

It was around 11:00 p.m...

when I received a call...

informing me that the Anti-Drug Unit

was holding a man called Moa.

CHIEF DETECTIVE

When I read Moa's statement...

HOMICIDES

...at first, it seemed like fantasy.

Everything he said was unbelievable.

Moa was part of a powerful criminal group,

very well armed.

They trafficked drugs,

they were killers,

dozens of homicides.

Moa felt he was in danger,

he felt threatened.

He thought that

the criminal organization wanted him dead.

So, in exchange for protection,

he decided to talk

and reveal all that had happened.

At one point in his testimony,

he said that a meeting took place

at the home of the criminal kingpin

and that he ordered his group

to go out in the city of Manaus

to commit crimes.

Robberies,

homicides.

The leader of this criminal group

was Representative Wallace Souza.

They always got there first

because the Representative
ordered the killings.

Representative Wallace...

he wanted to make sure
his ratings kept increasing.

In reality, Canal Livre

was a massive smokescreen.

They had the information

and got to the scene first

precisely because they had committed
the crimes themselves.

Every day, they were obsessed
with increasing their ratings.

And to capture the audience,

there's nothing better
than showing crimes firsthand.

It's surreal.

Murdering people for TV ratings.

When Moa was arrested,

rumors began circulating

that politicians were involved
in organized crime.

But we didn't know who they were.

So journalists started digging

to find out who they might have been.

Witness statements
started to get leaked,

and the first statement to leak
was Moacir's.

As soon as the statement appeared,

it was all over the press.

It was like a bomb.

MOA'S STATEMENT REVEALS DETAILS

REPRESENTATIVE HAD A 'MILITIA'

AT LEAST 17 HOMICIDES

DEATH SQUAD

TO INCREASE RATINGS

I remember coming back from school

and I enjoyed reading newspapers.

I saw my father's name,
and I understood the situation.

The driver didn't want me to see
because I was too young.

MOA'S STATEMENT ACCUSES WALLACE

I didn't even understand
what that guy was talking about.

I was like, "What?"

My father was the same person.

I didn't see any change.

He was always happy.

At least with us,

he tried to pretend
the world wasn't falling down.

I was always convinced of his innocence...

because the Wallace
they were talking about

was someone I had never met.

Wallace called me and said,

"Come over to my house."

I thought, "My God, what's happening?

How could he be in charge

of a gang, or whatever?"

Wallace said he was going
to the Assembly

to expose everything that was going on.

He was not going to hide.

Taking the stand now,
Representative Wallace Souza.

Ladies and gentlemen...

maybe I am the only one who knows

what it is to fight
against powerful people.

I may be going through

the biggest political persecution

ever to be seen in this state.

It is one of the vilest

and most irresponsible
political persecutions,

which has placed my family's life at risk.

I see myself as a warrior of light.

I'm capable of doing good,
but also of doing bad.

If they continue
to throw false accusations at me,

I will come back here
to name those responsible.

He went there to say
he was being persecuted,

due to his criticism of the authorities.

He said he believed he was a victim
of political persecution.

All murders that take place in Manaus
are ordered by Representative Wallace.

The Secretary of Security,

which is so useless in fighting crime

and so useless in deploying intelligence
with any intelligence

is now investigating
Representative Wallace.

And they are tapping me.

Investigating me.

What on earth is going on?

Isn't this a plot to damage me?

Isn't this a sordid campaign

to end me politically?

I don't want to be remembered
as a dead hero.

I don't.

Some people saw

his decision to go
to the State Assembly

as a way of trying

to move his colleagues

so they would stand by him.

First, I would like to affirm
my total solidarity with Your Excellency.

I'm not saying any of us
is immune from investigation.

But it's important to separate
investigation from persecution,

because that is unacceptable.

And Your Excellency has a TV show

which contributes enormously to our city

and to our state.

Because you have the courage to report,

please accept my support.

Support for Your Excellency
will not be lacking in this house.

Wallace categorically asserts

that he did not know Moacir Jorge.

WALLACE SOUZA DENIES KNOWING MOA

He said that.

That he had never worked for him.
That he had never seen him before.

Who is more credible?
Is Moa more credible than Wallace?

It was political persecution.

It's a fact.

They looked at clips
from the show and said,

"Since they arrive so early on the scenes,

let's say
they were involved in the crimes."

Come on! Come on, it's ridiculous!

Absurd.

Absurd.

There is no concrete proof
against Wallace.

None. There is no real evidence.

Nothing.

Just Moa.

Moa was accused of many crimes...

Everyone knew that it was all a farce.

That it was all a lie.

How credible is Moa?

He says something against someone,
and they start an investigation?

Come on.

Wallace didn't have
a connection with Moa.

I'd never seen Moa in my life.
I didn't know him.

We journalists following the case,

for us, at the press,

it felt weak. It remained open.

Then, a few days later...

photos started to arrive
at the news desks.

We don't know how,
but they arrived at reception.

It was a shock to us.

And, at that moment,
everything changed in the Wallace case.

Subtitle translation by Ashley Cardaman