Cidade de Deus

Research and answer the following:

1. What is the capital of Brazil?
2. What type of country is Brazil?
3. What is its demographic?
4. What is it famous for?
5. What do you know about its past?
6. What is a favela?
7. What is the 'Cidade de Deus'?
8. Look at the photos taken by children. What do the pictures tell you about real life in the Brazillian favelas?
9. Watch the interview with Fernando Meirelles. Write down what you consider to be the most important parts of the interview.
10. Read the BFI Sight and Sound review of the film. What are the key points and comments made about the film?
11. Read the sites with information on the history of the favelas in Brazil. Create a factsheet to share with the class.
12. Read the Guardian article about the actors from the film. Write down what you think is interesting from what you have read.

Information Points:

• A BBC interview with a young man named 'Ricardo' talking about the real City of God
• The City of God through the eyes of children: Children given disposable cameras to document their homes. First site; second site; third site.
• Interview with the director, Fernando Meirelles.
• BFI Sight and Sound review of Cidade de Deus.
• History of favelas: Site One; Site Two.
• Guardian article.