In Rio de Janeiro's City of God housing project, Rocket dreams of becoming a photographer, while his friend Li'l Ze aspires to rule the streets as a gang leader. As their paths diverge and childhood mischief gives way to brutal turf wars, Rocket struggles to escape the violence and define his future through photography, while those around him are drawn ever deeper into cycles of crime.
Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund's 'Cidade de Deus' combines kinetic camerawork, nonlinear storytelling, and raw social realism to imbue the film with a breathless intensity that vividly evokes the perilous lives shaped by crime and poverty. This bold and electrifying vision catapulted 'Cidade de Deus' to global acclaim, establishing it as one of the most celebrated and commercially successful Brazilian films ever made.