In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles
💰 Earned $30.6M on a $3.3M budget — a 9.3× return.
🌍 Original title: “Cidade de Deus”.
🎬 A Brazil/France/Germany production.
🏆 Nominated for 4 Oscars. 76 wins & 50 nominations total.
🤝 One of 3 films pairing Fernando Meirelles with Leandro Firmino.
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