Cast

Buscapé (Rocket), as a boy, played by Alexandre Rodrigues

Buscapé (Rocket), as a man, played by Luis Otávio

Zé Pequeno (Li’l Zé), played by Leandro Fermino da Hora

Dadinho (Li’l Dice), played by Douglas Silva

Bené (Benny), as a child, played by Michel de Souza

Bené (Benny), as a man, played by Phellipe Haagensen

Cabeleira (Shaggy), played by Jonathan Haagensen

Mané Galinha (Goose), played by Seu Jorge

Barbatinho, as a boy, played by Emerson Gomes

Barbatinho, as a man, played by Edson Oliveira

Cabecão (Knockout Ned), played by Mauricio Marques

Sandro Cenoura (Carrot), played by Matheus Nachtergaele

Tio Sam (Uncle Sam), played by Charles Parventi

Thiago, played by Daniel Zettel

Angélica, played by Alice Braga

Crew

Producers: Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Maurico Andrade Ramos

Co-producers: Hank Levine, Daniel Filho, Marc Beauchamps, Vincent Maraval

Executive producers: Walter Salles, Donald K. Ranvaud

Line producers: Bel Berlincx, Elsa Tolomelli

Original Music: Antonio Pinto, Ed Côrtes

Art Director: Tulé Peake

Editor: Daniel Rezende

Cinematographer: Cesar Charlone

Scriptwriter: Braulo Mantovani

Co-director: Katia Lund

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Awards

Winner, Gran Coral, Best Fiction Film, New Latin American Film Festival, Havana, 2002

Official Selection, International Film Festival, Cannes, 2002

Winner, BAFTA Award, Best Editing, 2003

Nominee, BAFTA, 2003, Best Film not in the English Language

Official nominee on behalf of Brazil, Oscar, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hollywood

Plot

The establishing shots of the film place us within the slums of Cidade de Deus (City of God) in Rio de Janeiro. A chicken is being prepared for a street barbecue, and the other chicken escapes. The gang members go in pursuit of the chicken, until they meet Rocket; Li’l Zé (formerly Li’l Dice), the gang leader, asks him to catch the chicken. Rocket, the photographer, is then caught between the gang and the police. The camera swivels back to Rocket’s childhood and tells his story, starting with his childhood in the ‘favela’ City of God. His older brother, Goose, and his two friends, Chipper and Shaggy, rob a truck. Li’l Dice, a young boy, tells them to rob a brothel, which they do, while Li’l Dice keeps watch. While Chipper, Goose and Shaggy simply steal, Li’l Dice (as we find out later) goes in and shoots all the customers. The police hunt them down. but Shaggy hides with Berenice, his girlfriend, and Goose starts selling fish.