Aahana Swrup
The Brazillian Netflix crime film, ‘Outlaw,’ better known as ‘Bandida: A Número Um,’ farms inspiration from the real-life of Raquel de Oliveira, as told in her near-autobiographical book, ‘A Número Um.’ The film follows the life of Rebeca, a fictionalized version of Oliveira, who grows up in Rocinha, a Rio de Janeiro favela, where drugs and gangs run rampant. After getting sold to one such gang, helmed by Amoroso, at a young age, Rebeca goes on to become a bandit trained in the business and brutality of drug running.
However, in her youth, when the young woman falls in love with another bandit, Pará, Rocinha oversees a shift in power that brings Rebeca to her destiny. ‘Outlaw’ presents a slightly more stylized and dramatized iteration of the true events on which Oliveira based her book. Even so, Rebeca’s character remains reminiscent of the outlaw-turned-author’s experiences, allowing viewers a glimpse into her life. Therefore, fans are bound to grow even more intrigued by Oliveira’s actual real life.
Raquel de Oliveira’s Life as a Bandit Began at an Early Age
While ‘Outlaw’ employs partial fictionalization and ample creative liberty in creating Rebeca’s character, the on-screen bandit inevitably ends up holding a resemblance to Raquel de Oliveira’s life. As per the author’s recollection of her life, penned in the 2015 book, ‘A Número Um,’ Oliveira grew up alone in Rocinha from the age of six until she was sold to a drug dealing gang at nine years old by her grandmother. However, a cult priest of Umbanda saved her from forced prostitution, compelling the drug lord to adopt her as a daughter. From there, she was trained as a bandit, learning about weapons and such. As the story goes, by 15, Oliveira had reportedly killed a man she was making a delivery to after he attempted to abuse her.
A little way down the road, at 25, Oliveira ended up with Ednaldo “Naldo” de Souza, a young drug dealer who had ascended to the top of the criminal hierarchy in Rocinha. Nevertheless, their reign over the favela together only lasted so long before he eventually lost his life in July 1988 after a police attack. Thus, Oliveira found herself alone, without her partner or her gang. Nonetheless, even in the face of adversity, she persevered, inheriting the business from de Souza and putting together her own gang.
Raquel Underwent a Rehabitalation Journey
After taking over the favela’s drug trafficking business in 1988, Raquel de Oliveira remained the head of her neighborhood for years. However, at the same time, she also fell victim to alcoholism and drug abuse in the wake of the grief over losing her former gang. As a result, she often drifted in and out of her position as the trafficking leader. Fortunately, in 2005, she took a definitive exit from the drug underworld and embarked on her road to recovery. Facing her future, one day at a time, Oliveira was able to rehabilitate in the early 2000s successfully.
During this journey, Oliveira also found her passion for writing and poetry after a counselor recommended journaling her emotions as a way to understand her past better. As the young woman returned to high school and graduated in pedagogy, her interest in pursuing a career as a writer became cemented, especially after she attended the Literary Festival of the Peripheries. Consequently, she wrote her book, ‘A Número Um,’ which went to become a huge success and earned her recognition and acclaim.
Raquel Continues to Pursue Her Passion as a Storyteller
Since the publication of her beloved novel, ‘A Número Um,’ in 2015, Raquel de Oliveira has found her true calling in life. Today, she continues treading the path of a storyteller. Thus, she remains involved in the world of literature through her profession. Recently, the author attended a number of events, including the Reading Club panel of Station 67 Reading Stop in August, followed by an appearance at Leo Mottae’s poetry project. She also continues to share her original poetry with her social media followers on her Instagram.
In the past, Oliveira has also shared plans to expand her bibliography through multiple new works spanning genres. Therefore, she is currently looking for a publisher who would be interested in bringing one of her new works to the public. Likewise, she is also planning on re-releasing ‘A Número Um’ under a new publisher in light of the Netflix film’s success. Naturally, Oliveira has been a vocal cheerleader for the film, ‘Outlaw,’ regularly sharing her support for the project on her social media account.
Over the past year, Oliveira has also attended several film premieres with her friends and family, consistently sharing memories of the same with her fans. She also met up with individuals involved in the project, including Maria Bomani, who embodies the role of Rebeca. As per the last known reports, she still lives in Rio de Janeiro’s Rocinha neighborhood, where she is welcomed and respected as a notable member of the community. The author also has three children—all of whom know of her past—and has become a grandmother to multiple grandkids in the past decade. Occasionally, Oliveira can be found sharing fond moments of her family life on her social media platform. As such, fans of her work can stay updated on her life through her Instagram, where she maintains a consistent social media presence.
Read More: Outlaw True Story: Is Rebeca Based on a Real Outlaw?
