Original title: Cidade De Deus
Screening as part of our Brazilian Summer Nights season alongside Cine Brazil.
The screening on Sunday 9th will have a live introduction from Maiara de Paula.
In the gripping adaptation of Paulo Lins' novel, 'City of God' explores the life in the Rio de Janeiro favela of the same name from the 1960s to the 1980s. Through the eyes of Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), an aspiring photographer, the film depicts his attempts to avoid the prevalent violence and crime. He aspires for a better life, dreaming of winning over Angélica (Alicia Braga). His life contrasts with L’il Zé (Leandro Firmino), who rises to become a ruthless crime lord alongside his friend the much loved Bené (Phellipe Haagensen). The tension escalates when Knockout Ned (singer / actor Seu Jorge) seeking vengeance appears, leading to a fierce gang showdown.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film's raw performances, especially by non-actors from the favelas, and César Charlone's dynamic cinematography vividly capture the chaos of the favela. The editing by Daniel Rezende, along with a vibrant soundtrack, contributes to the film's intense pace.
Critically acclaimed, 'City of God' stands as a cinematic triumph, ranked #25 Best Film of all time on IMDB and with a 97% FRESH rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002, it received four Academy Award nominations, marking Meirelles' emergence as a notable director and revitalizing Brazilian cinema.
Presented with English subtitles
Maiara de Paula Bio
Maiara de Paula is a Brazilian screenwriter, director and producer with over fifteen years of experience across film and television. She holds an MA in Race, Media and Social Justice from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a degree in Filmmaking from PUC-Rio.
Born in Pernambuco and based in Rio de Janeiro since 1997, Maiara began her career producing advertising campaigns for leading production companies while independently producing award-winning short films. This early experience laid the foundation for her transition into television.
At TV Globo, she worked initially as an Assistant Director before becoming a screenwriter, contributing to a range of television projects, including the acclaimed series We Are Five. Following her time at Globo, she was selected for Netflix Brazil's Second Act Screenwriter Development Fellowship, further consolidating her career as a writer.
Since then, Maiara has built an extensive portfolio writing for some of Brazil's leading audiovisual platforms, including Netflix and Globoplay, developing and writing projects across film and television.
Most recently, she wrote the short film HOME, a Brazil–UK co-production. She is currently writing her first Netflix feature film, scheduled for release in 2027, while continuing to create original projects for both the Brazilian and international markets.
We're launching a new strand here at the Lexi called LEXI SELECTS!
Our programming team bring you a curated weekly release that didn't get the attention it deserved here. Some may be films we missed from earlier this year, some may be from a few years ago, but they're all exceptional films which we think our audience will adore.
Bora reunite for more unmissable Brazilian cinema at The Lexi Cinema in partnership with Cine Brazil!
Throughout August we're screening 4 Brazilian classics from the 2000s, and in September a bonus film to close things out.
Rewatch the saudosos classics or catch them for the first time on the big screen.
📽️ A Dog's Will (Auto da Compadecida) - Aug 2, 4 & 6
📽️ City of God (Cidade de Deus) - Aug 9, 10, 12 & 13
📽️ Ó Paí, Ó - Aug 16, 18 & 20
📽️ Basic Sanitation the Movie (Saneamento Básico) - Aug 23, 25 & 27
📽️ Bacurau - Sep 6 & 10
All Sunday screenings will have an introduction before the film.
All films with English subtitles.
