Set in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, this explosive epic follows two young boys growing up in the favelas who choose different but related paths: one participating in and the other documenting the gang violence endemic to the poorest areas of the Brazilian capital city. Based on an autobiographical novel by Paulo Lins, who himself was raised in the City of God, the film was adapted by Fernando Mereilles, who established a distinctive style with handheld camerawork, interlocking storylines, and compassionate, character-driven renderings of poverty and violence. Comparisons have been drawn by the likes of Roger Ebert to Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas, but Mereilles birthed a style all his own with this 2002 classic, necessitating a big screen viewing. – Lina Fisher
Sept. 22 & 24
