Youth gangs took over the slums of Rio de Janiero during the 1960s and didn't relinquish their stronghold until the mid-1980s. Only a sucker wouldn't have turned to crime and this is exactly how naive teen Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) views himself. His attempts in illegal activity fail as he finds potential victims too friendly. Equally unsuccessful in love, he regularly fails to lose his virginity. Blood spills throughout the streets of the Ciudad de Deus as gang leader Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino da Hora) is challenged by local druglords and a gang of pre-teens known as the Runts. Rocket shoots all of this action with his weapon of choice, a camera.

Director Fernando Meirelles combines visual flashiness with dark history in telling the story of three decades of unrest in underground Rio de Janiero. Technically flawless, the Brazilian film uses a rapid-cutting style to flash back and forth in time. Cinematographer Cesar Charlone shoots with an overexposed glow in a film that may seem numb to violence, but reveres photography. Director Meirelles was assisted by Katia Lund, a filmmaker who had previously shot in the Rio ghettos.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Letterboxed Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - Portuguese

Distributor Notes: City Of God

Celebrated with worldwide acclaim, this powerful true story of crime and redemption has won numerous prestigious awards around the globe! The streets of the world's most notorious slum, Rio de Janeiro's "City of God," are a place where combat photographers fear to tread, police rarely go, and residents are lucky if they live to the age of 20. In the midst of the oppressive crime and violence, a frail and scared young boy will grow up to discover that he can view the harsh realities of his surroundings with a different eye: the eye of an artist. In the face of impossible odds, his brave ambition to become a professional photographer becomes a window into his world ... and ultimately his way out!

Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

Alexandre Rodrigues: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Leandro Firmino da Hora: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Matheus Nachtergaele: Actor
Seu Jorge: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Gera Camilo: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Renato de Souza: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Karina Falcao: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Graziela Moretto: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Roberta Rodriguez Silvia: Actor, CITY OF GOD (2003)

Fernando Meirelles: Screenwriter/Director, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Katia Lund: Director, CITY OF GOD (2003)

Andrea Barata Ribeiro: Producer, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Mauricio Andrade Ramos: Producer, CITY OF GOD (2003)

Fernando Meirelles: Screenwriter/Director, CITY OF GOD (2003)
Braulio Mantovani: Screenwriter, CITY OF GOD (2003)

"...CITY OF GOD conveys the authenticity of a cinema verite scrapbook..."
"Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles manages a style simultaneously gritty and slick for CITY OF GOD....Even action fans averse to subtitles might do well to check this one out..."
"...Meirelles is a world-class talent who illuminates every frame of this fresh, ferocious and indelibly moving film. CITY OF GOD has the scent of a classic..."
"...CITY OF GOD pulses with atmosphere and vibrates with authenticity..."
"...Uncompromising in its realism....Exhilarating movie-making....It's a remarkable achievement..."
"...We're exhilarated by the sheer filmmaking brio on display here. Mereilles and Lund weave all the strands of the story together with breathtaking ease..."
"CITY OF GOD is a potent and unexpected mixture of authenticity and flash..."
"[A] stunning, powerful drama..."