Language: Portuguese Year: 2002
City of God is one of the few foreign language films that can call itself a 'crossover film'. Not only was it a huge success in it's native South America but it also saw mainstream success, garnering 4 Oscar nominations including best director for Fernando Meirelles (of Constant Gardener fame).
This film charts the life of various young people as they jostle for respect in one of the worlds roughest slums in Rio de Janeiro. Using original eye witness accounts to keep this film true to life, we are transported to the slums and into the lives of those who spend their days in it's lurid surroundings.
The film is narrated by 'Rocket', a child of the slums who is desperate to escape the inevitable and create a knew life for himself as a photographer. For him, his camera is his way out but it is more than just a tool for Rocket, it's a device through which he can document his experiences and one which also helps the viewer feel like we are sharing them with him.
This is an absorbing experience and a film that shows it's not just Hollywood that makes blockbusters.
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