City of God (Cidade de Deus)
Original movie poster
Directed by	Fernando Meirelles Kátia Lund
Produced by	Andrea Barata Ribeiro Mauricio Andrade Ramos Elisa Tolomelli
Written by	Paulo Lins Bráulio Mantovani
Starring	Alexandre Rodrigues Leandro Firmino Phellipe Haagensen Douglas Silva Jonathan Haagensen Matheus Nachtergaele Seu Jorge
Music by	Ed Cortês Antonio Pinto
Distributed by	Miramax (USA)
Release date(s)	August 30, 2002 (Brazil)
Running time	130 min.
Country	Brazil / France / USA
Language	Portuguese
Budget	$3,300,000 (estimated)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

City of God (Portuguese: Cidade de Deus) is an Academy Award-nominated 2002 Brazilian film, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. It was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins which, both the film and the book, are based on a true story; the war between Knockout Ned and Li'l Zé is based on their real life counterparts. It was directed by Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles. It stars Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Jonathan Haagensen, Douglas Silva, and Seu Jorge. The tagline is "Fight and you'll never survive..... Run and you'll never escape." Image File history File links CidadedeDeus. ... Fernando Meirelles, born in November 9th, 1955, is a Brazilian film director. ... Kátia Lund Kátia Lund (b. ... Paulo Lins is a professor at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. ... Alexandre Rodrigues as Busca-pé/Rocket Alexandre Rodrigues (born 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor. ... Leandro Firmino, as Lil Zé. Leandro Firmino da Hora (June 23, 1978) is a Brazilian actor. ... Phellipe Haagensen (born 1984 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor best known for his role of Benny in the 2002 film, Cidade de Deus or The City of God. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Matheus Nachtergaele (born 3 January 1969, in São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor. ... Seu Jorge playing at the 2006 Coachella Festival Seu Jorge (b. ... Miramax is a Big Ten film distribution and production company. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2002. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Paulo Lins is a professor at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. ... Kátia Lund Kátia Lund (b. ... Fernando Meirelles, born in November 9th, 1955, is a Brazilian film director. ... Alexandre Rodrigues as Busca-pé/Rocket Alexandre Rodrigues (born 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor. ... Leandro Firmino, as Lil Zé. Leandro Firmino da Hora (June 23, 1978) is a Brazilian actor. ... Seu Jorge playing at the 2006 Coachella Festival Seu Jorge (b. ...

Most of these actors had never acted before, and were, in fact, residents of favelas such as Vidigal and the Cidade de Deus itself. Vidigal, a Rio de Janeiro favela A favela is the Brazilian equivalent of a shanty town, which are generally found on the edge of the city. ... Vidigal is a surname, may refer to: Jorge Filipe Vidigal José Carlos Fernandes Vidigal, nickname Lito José Luís Vidigal This page or section lists people with the surname Vidigal. ... Cidade de Deus (City of God), is the name of a slum located in the district of Jacarepaguá, west zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ...

The film received four Academy Award nominations in 2004: Best Cinematography (César Charlone), Best Directing (Meirelles), Best Editing (Daniel Rezende) and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Mantovani). Before that, in 2003 it had been chosen to be Brazil's runner for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was not nominated to be one of the five finalists. Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Charles Rosher the first recipient in 1928 The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... The Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Foreign Language Film is a yearly US award for the best film in a language other than English, released in the period October - September in the country of origin. ...

In October 2002, a spin-off television series, City of Men, premiered on Rede Globo. October 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December // Events October 31, 2002 The Russian Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko has now stated that the incapacitating agent used in the storming of the Moscow theatre siege was a fentanyl derivative. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... City of Men (in Portuguese: Cidade dos Homens) was a Brazilian television program from Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles, the directors of the film City of God. ... Rede Globo (Portuguese: Globe Network) better known as Globo or TV Globo is Latin Americas biggest television network. ...

Plot Summary

Alex Rodrigues as Rocket

Taking place over the course of a decade, City of God tells the story of Cidade de Deus (Portuguese for City of God), a lower class quarter west of Rio de Janeiro. Told from the viewpoint of a boy named Rocket who grows up there as a fishmonger's son, demonstrates the desperation and violence inherent in the slums. Based on a real story, the movie depicts drug abuse, violent crime, and a boy's struggle to free himself from the slums' grasp. Image File history File links City_of_god. ... Image File history File links City_of_god. ... Cidade de Deus (City of God), is the name of a slum located in the district of Jacarepaguá, west zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ... This article is about the Brazilian city. ...

The movie begins cinematically depicting chickens being prepared for a meal. A chicken escapes and as an armed gang chases after it bumps into Rocket who believes that the gang wants to kill him. The movie then flashbacks to ten years earlier to tell the story of how he got himself into that position.

Three "hoodlums", "The Tender Trio", one being Rocket's brother, Goose, are terrorizing local businesses with armed holdups. In Robin Hood fashion they split part of the loot with the citizens of City of God and are protected by them. Li'l Dice is a hanger-on who convinces them to hold up a motel and rob its occupants. Li'l Dice serving as lookout fires a warning shot, then proceeds to slaughter the inhabitants of the motel. The massacre brings on the attention of the police forcing the three to quit their criminal ways. Each meets an untimely end, except one who decides to join the church. Goose, Rocket's brother, is slain by Li'l Dice after robbing the younger boy and his friend Benny who have been hiding out and committing crimes themselves.

Fast forward a number of years and Li'l Dice now calls himself, Li'l Zé, and along with his childhood friend Benny establish a drug empire by eliminating all of the competition except for a drug dealer named Carrot. Meanwhile, Rocket has become a part of the "Groovies" a hippie like group of youth that enjoy smoking pot. He begins his photography career shooting his friends, especially one girl that he is infatuated with, but who is dating another boy.

A relative peace has come over City of God under the reign of Li'l Zé who plans to eliminate his last rival, Carrot against the judgment of his best friend Benny, who is keeping the peace. At one point, his best friend and partner in crime Benny has decided to become a "playboy" and the "coolest guy in City of God". Eventually, along with the girl that he has wooed away from Rocket, he decides to leave the criminal life behind to live on a farm. However, he is gunned down at his going away party by former drug dealer, Blackie, who is actually aiming for Li'l Zé. Benny was the only thing keeping Li'l Ze from taking over Carrot's business, so now Carrot is in danger.

Li'l Zé humiliates a peace loving man Knockout Ned at the party and afterwards rapes his girlfriend and kills Ned's uncle and younger brother. Ned turns violent and sides with Carrot and after killing one of his men and starts a war between the two rival factions. The ensuing war creates a "Vietnam" of City of God. Jealous of Ned's notoriety in the newspapers, Li'l Zé has Rocket takes photos of himself and his gang which are unbeknown to Rocket published in the daily paper. Rocket then mistakenly fears for his life believing that Li'l Zé will want to kill him for it. In actuality, he is pleased with his newfound fame.

Coming full circle, a gunfight ensues between the two gangs and Rocket is caught in the middle after being startled by Li'l Zé's request that he take a picture of the gang which had been chasing the chicken at the beginning of the film. Ned is killed by a boy who has infiltrated his gang to avenge his father who Ned killed during a bank robbery. Li'l Zé and Carrot are captured by the police. Rocket then captures on film the police shaking Li'l Zé down for money and releasing him.

The story ends with Li'l Zé being killed by a group of his own young gang members who stroll off listing people to kill and Rocket gets famous off of the photograph of Li'l Ze shot up with bullets.

Alexandre Rodrigues as Busca-pé/Rocket Alexandre Rodrigues (born 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor. ... Alice Braga (b. ...

Main characters

Alexander Rodriguez as Rocket Rocket (Buscapé) is the main protagonist and narrator in the movie Cidade de Deus (City of God). ... A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... Lil Zé, portrayed by Leandro Firmino. ... See Also: Antisocial Personality Disorder Theoretically, psychopathy is a three-faceted disorder involving interpersonal, affective and behavioral characteristics. ... Knockout Ned, portrayed by Seu Jorge Knockout Ned (Mané Galinha) is a major character in the movie City of God. ...

Production background

On the City of God bonus DVD, it is revealed that the only professional actor with years of filming experience was Matheus Nachtergaele, who played a supporting role. The most of the remaining cast were from real-life favelas, and in some cases, even the real-life City of God favela itself. From initially about 2000, about a hundred children and youths were hand-picked and placed into an "actors' workshop" for several months. In contrast to more traditional methods (e.g. studying theatre and rehearsing), it focused on simulating authentic street war scenes, such as a hold-up, a scuffle, a shoot-out etc. A lot came from improvisation, as it was thought better to create an authentic, gritty atmosphere. This way, the inexperienced cast soon learned to move and act naturally. Improvisation is the practice of acting and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of ones immediate environment. ...

Prior to City of God, the directors Lund and Meirelles filmed a short film Golden Gate as a sort of test run. Only after then, the final casting for City of God was finalized. The most remarkable choice was Leandro da Hora as Zé Pequeno, as da Hora was unanimously described as a quiet, uncomplicated soul, but now played the psychotic, ultra-violent drug dealer. Da Hora himself describes his character as "pretty unbalanced, greedy and acted without thinking in everything he did (...) I see him like a normal person, but someone who through the ironies of destiny took a wrong turn somewhere."

Appropriately, the film ends eavesdropping on the machinations of the "Runts" as they assemble their death list. The real gang, Caixa Baixa, which means rat boys and is rumored to have comprised such a list, later became the Comando Vermelho (Red Command) which is the gang that controls the City of God till this day. [1]

Public acclaim

City of God became the highest-grossing foreign film of 2003 in the United States ^[1]. It has grossed over 7 million dollars in the U.S. and over 27 million worldwide. ^[2] The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Critical acclaim

City of God received positive acclaim from major publications in the United States, gathering 92% of favourable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes ^[3]. Empire chose it as the best film of 2003 and Time chose it as one of the 100 greatest movies of all time, while E! ranked it the 3rd "movie to see before you die". It currently ranks at 18th in Internet Movie Database's top 250 films list. ^[4] This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Emap Consumer Media since July 1989. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... Time top 100 Movies is a compilation of Time magazine top 100 series to feature top 100 movies of world cinema. ... E!: Entertainment Television is an American cable television and direct broadcast satellite network. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

Awards and nominations

According to the Internet Movie Database ^[5], City of God won forty-eight awards and received other twenty-one nominations. Among those: The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

Academy Awards Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

• Nominated: Best Director (Fernando Meirelles)
• Nominated: Best Adapted Screenplay (Braulio Mantovani)
• Nominated: Best Cinematography (Cesar Charlone)
• Nominated: Best Film Editing (Daniel Rezende)

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Charles Rosher the first recipient in 1928 The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is awarded each year to a cinematographer for his work in one particular motion picture. ... The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934. ... The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the U.S. and Canada, representing 199 television, radio and online critics. ...

• Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film

BAFTA Film Awards The Critics Choice Award for Best Foreign (Language) Film is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. ... BAFTA Award The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ...

• Won: Best Film Editing (Daniel Rezende)
• Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2006 - United 93 - Clare Douglas Christopher Rouse Richard Pearson Babel - Stephen Mirrione Douglas Crise The Departed - Thelma Schoonmaker Casino Royale - Stuart Baird The Queen - Lucia Zucchetti 2005 - The Constant Gardener - Claire Simpson Crash - Hughes Winborne Brokeback Mountain - Geraldine Peroni Dylan Tichenor Good Night and Good Luck - Stephen Mirrione La Marche... This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards. ... The Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association. ...

• Won: Best Foreign Language Film

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ...

• Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film

Independent Spirit Awards For the main article see Golden Globe Awards. ... Founded in 1984, the Independent Spirit Awards were originally known as the FINDIE (Friends of Independents) Awards and presented winners with Plexiglas pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. ...

• Nominated: Best Foreign Language Film

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards The Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) is a non-profit organization, composed of selected print, television and internet film critics in the Las Vegas area. ...

• Won: Best Foreign Language Film

New York Film Critics Circle Awards New York Film Critics Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. ...

• Won: Best Foreign Language Film

Satellite Awards The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Film is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking. ... The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. ...

• Won: Best Foreign Language Film

Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) is an organization of film reviewers from publications based in the Southeastern United States. ...

• Won: Best Foreign Language Film

Toronto Film Critics Association Awards The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) is an organization of film reviewers from Toronto-based publications. ...

• Won: Best Foreign Language Film

Toronto International Film Festival Poster for the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival Box office at the Manulife Centre The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), held in Toronto, Canada, is widely considered to be one of the top film festivals in the world. ...

• Won: Visions Award - Special Citation

Cast

Translation into English of character's names that were nicknames are between parenthesis when applicable. A motion picture rating system categorizes films with regard to suitability for children and/or adults in terms of issues such as sex, violence and profanity. ... The Canadian Home Video Rating System (CHVRS) is a voluntary rating classification system applied to home video products such as VHS and DVDs. ... British Board of Film Classification logo The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), originally British Board of Film Censors, is the organisation responsible for film and some video game classification and censorship within the United Kingdom. ... The MPAA film rating system is a system used in the United States and territories and instituted by the Motion Picture Association of America to rate a movie based on its content. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

• Alexandre Rodrigues as "Buscapé" (Rocket, more specifically a firecracker flying erratically at foot-height before exploding, hence "Busca-Pé = foot-searcher")
• Alice Braga as Angélica
• Charles Paraventi as "Tio Sam" or Charles ("Uncle Sam")
• Christian Duurvoort as "Paulista" (Paulista, a native of the state of São Paulo)
• Daniel Zettel as Thiago
• Danielle Ornellas as "Paraíba's" neighbor
• Darlan Cunha as "Filé com Fritas" ("Steak with Fries")
• Douglas Silva as "Dadinho" ("Li'l Dice" — Zé Pequeno as child)
• Edson Montenegro as "Busca-pé’s" father
• Edson Oliveirra as "Barbantinho" ("Little String")
• Emerson Gomes as "Barbantinho" (as a child)
• Felipe Silva as Rafael
• Gero Camilo as "Paraíba" (Paraíba, in Rio de Janeiro it is a vulgar form of addressing someone from Northeastern Brazil - where the state of Paraíba is located)
• Graziella Moretto as Marina Cintra
• Jefechander Suplino as "Alicate" ("Pliers")
• Jonathan Haagensen as "Cabeleira" ("Big Hair" - known as "Shaggy" in the English version)
• Karina Falcão as “Paraíba’s” wife
• Leandra Miranda as "Lúcia Maracanã"
• Leandro Firmino da Hora as "Zé Pequeno" ("Little Zé - a common abbreviation for the name "José")
• Luis Otávio as "Busca-pé" (as a child)
• Luiz Carlos Ribeiro Seixas as "Touro" ("Bull")
• Marcos Junqueira as Otávio
• Matheus Nachtergaele as "Sandro Cenoura" ("Carrot Sandro")
• Maurício Marques as "Cabeção" ("Big Head")
• Michel de Souza Gomes as "Bené" (as a child)
• Olívia Araújo as the Motel’s receptionist
• Paulo César "Jacaré" as "Tuba" (the musical instrument)
• Phelipe Haagensen as "Bené" (a common abbreviation for the name "Benedito")
• Renato de Souza as "Marreco" ("Goose". In Portuguese, "Marreco" is a kind of duck but can also be used as a slang for a person who can be easily fooled)
• Roberta Rodrigues as Berenice
• Robson Rocha as Gelson
• Rubens Sabino as "Neguinho" (“Blackie”)
• Sabrina Rosa as "Galinha’s" wife
• Seu Jorge as "Mané Galinha" ("Knockout Ned" in the English version — literal translation: "Chicken Manny" – does not imply a coward in Portuguese slang, but usually means "Womanizer". "Mané" is short for "Manuel", a common name in Brazil.)
• Thiago Martins as "Lampião" (“Lamp”, the name of a famous violent criminal, leader of a criminal group, that once lived in the semi-arid fields in the Northeast of Brazil and is still admired by some regionals)

Alexandre Rodrigues as Busca-pé/Rocket Alexandre Rodrigues (born 1983 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor. ... Alice Braga (b. ... Paulista is a city in Pernambuco, Brazil, population 294,000 (2005). ... This article is about the city. ... Darlan Cunha (left) and City of Men co-star Douglas Silva (right) Darlan Cunha (Rio de Janeiro, September 16, 1988) is a Brazilian actor. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Flag of Paraíba See other Brazilian States Capital João Pessoa Largest City João Pessoa Area 56. ... Graziella Moretto (born in Santos, May 15th 1972) is a Brazilian actress. ... Needle-nose pliers Pliers are hand tools, designed primarily for gripping objects by using leverage. ... Leandro Firmino, as Lil Zé. Leandro Firmino da Hora (June 23, 1978) is a Brazilian actor. ... Matheus Nachtergaele (born 3 January 1969, in São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian actor. ... For other uses, see Tuba (disambiguation). ... Renato de Souza is a Brazilian actor. ... Seu Jorge playing at the 2006 Coachella Festival Seu Jorge (b. ... Swiss kerosene lamp. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.icecorp.is/web/News?ArticleID=145
2. ^ City of God at Box Office Mojo.
3. ^ City of God at Rotten Tomatoes.
4. ^ The list of the top 250 films at the Internet Movie Database.
5. ^ Awards and nominations for City of God at the Internet Movie Database.

Box Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic way. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

External links

• Official site
• City of God at the Internet Movie Database
• Nós do Cinema behind City of God
• Metacritic: City of God
• "Short lifespan in Rio drug gangs", from BBC, 25 November 2006.

v • d • e Cinema of Brazil

Films A-Zʥ Films by year: Pre 1930ʥ 1920sʥ 1930sʥ 1940sʥ 1950sʥ 1960sʥ 1970sʥ 1980sʥ 1990sʥ 2000s Actorsʥ Directorsʥ Cinematographersʥ Editorsʥ Producersʥ Score composersʥ Screenwriters The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Fernando Meirelles, born in November 9th, 1955, is a Brazilian film director. ... The Constant Gardener is a 2005 Academy Award-winning film based on the John le Carr̩ novel of the same name. ... Blindness is an upcoming film to be directed by Fernando Meirelles based on the 1995 novel Blindess by Jos̩ Saramago. ... The cinema of Brazil started in 1930. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Cinema of Brazil An incomplete list of films produced in Brazil in year order. ...