Entertainment

“Bel Borba Aqui” review

‘A sperm to a woman is like I am to Salvador,” Brazilian street artist Bel Borba muses at the start of this documentary. He’s referring to Salvador da Bahia, the 500-year-old city where he lives and works. Often called “the people’s Picasso,” the prolific artist turns out sculptures, paintings, murals, mosaics and architecture, all of which help brighten the seaside city.

His work ranges from a giant sculpture of a dog constructed on the beach from empty Coke bottles (the company refused to give him filled bottles) to small street mosaics fashioned from recycled tiles. Borba keeps referring to himself as “a hero,’’ but the directors, Burt Sun and André Costantini, never delve into his psyche. On the plus side is Costantini’s luscious cinematography.