City of God Cidade de Deus
(DVD Video) 

Do romance de [(Based on) the novel by] Paulo Lins.

Special features: News from a personal war [featurette] (57 min.); Sneak peeks [trailers] (5 min.).

Cinematografia, Caesar Charlone ; montagem [editor], Daniel Rezende ; dire?caao de arte [art direction], Tulae Peake ; mausica original, Antonio Pinto e Ed C?ortes ; figurino [costumes] Bia Salgado e Inaes Salgado.

Alexandre Rodrigues (Buscapae/Rocket), Leandro Firmino da Hora (Zae Pequeno/L'il Zae), Phellipe Haagensen (Benae), Douglas Silva (Dadinho), Jonathan Haagensen (Cabeleira), Matheus Nachtergaele (Sandro Cenoura), Seu Jorge (Manae Galinha).

Originally produced as a Brazilian motion picture in 2002.

Built in the 1960s, Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a sprawling housing project built to keep the poor as far as possible from Rio's glamorous beaches and resorts. By the 1980s, it has degenerated into a war zone so dangerous that visitors from outside risk being shot to death on sight, a poisonous stew of poverty, drugs, and crime. "If you run away, they get you, and if you stay, they get you, too, " says Rocket, who wants to be a photographer. Rocket's brother, friends, and neighbors begin with truck stick-ups, which lead to brothel hold-ups that lead to murder that leads to coke dealing that leads to street brawls with armies of gun-toting 11-year-olds. Soon a full-scale gang war rages in the City of God--understandably not covered by wary Rio photojournalists--but just the opportunity Rocket needs to make his move, get a job at a newspaper, and get out.

MPAA rating: R; for strong brutal violence, sexuality, drug content, and language.

DVD; Region 1, NTSC; 5.1 Dolby digital surround; widescreen presentation, aspect ratio 1.85:1, enhanced for 16x9 televisions.

In Brazilian Portuguese with optional subtitles in English, French, Spanish, and English for the hearing impaired.

Winner, 2003 Cinema Brazil Grand Prize: Melhor Filme (Best Picture); Melhor Diretor (Best Director)--Fernando Meirelles; Melhor Roteiro Adaptado (Best Screenplay, Adapted)--Braulio Mantovani; Melhor Fotografia (Best Cinematography)--Caesar Charlone; Melhor Montagem (Best Editing)--Daniel Rezende; Melhor Som (Best Sound)--Guilherme Ayrosa, Paulo Ricardo Nunes, Alessandro Laroca, Alejandro Quevedo, Carlos Honc, Roland N. Thai, Rudy Pi, Adam Sawelson.