Cidade de Deus

This Brazilian classic is set in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. CIDADE DE DEUS follows the lives of two boys, Rocket and Lil’ Zé. Their paths diverge as Rocket dreams of a career as a photographer, whilst Lil’ Zé becomes a drug lord. Through Rocket’s eyes, a story unfolds about drugs, violence, and the struggle to survive in the most dangerous slums of the Brazilian capital, as he tries to break the cycle of violence and pursue his dreams.

In the 1960s, Cidade de Deus was a social housing project in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. By the 1980s, it had become one of the most dangerous places in the city. Directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund chose not to tell the history of this place, but rather to portray the people who live in this neighbourhood. Through the eyes of their likable main character, it becomes clear that, amidst all the violence, there is still hope for a glimmer of humanity.

The film was nominated for four Oscars—for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing—and, years later, is still regarded as one of the most powerful films of this century. We are screening the film from a special 35mm print, courtesy of CINEMATEK. Are you curious to find out how such a screening like this works? If so, you can register via info@decinema.be for a short guided tour of our projection booth (at 19h15).

CIDADE DE DEUS is being screened as part of OPEN CINEMA, OUR CINEMA: for a whole day, we will be showing only our audience’s favourite films, which they were able to vote for via a public poll over a two-month period. OPEN CINEMA is an initiative of the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF).