#Kátia Lund

[closetofcuriosities]

City of God (Cidade de Deus) - 2002 - Dir. Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund

"15 miles from paradise... one man will do anything to tell the world everything."

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Cidade De Deus (2002) Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

[addictivecontradiction]

Cidade de Deus, 2002

[byneddiedingo]

City of God (Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, 2002)

Cast: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen, Matheus Nachtergaele. Screenplay: Bráulio Mantovani, based on a novel by Paulo Lins. Cinematography: César Charlone. Production design: Tulé Peak. Film editing: Daniel Rezende. Music: Ed Côrtes, Antonio Pinto. 

City of God is an exceptionally involving docudrama that employs non-professional actors to stunning effect. The only experienced professional in the cast was Matheus Nachtergaele, who plays the drug dealer known as "Carrot." The rest were mostly recruited from the streets and slums of Rio de Janeiro, and put through several months of training, largely under the supervision of Kátia Lund, who also worked with the cast during filming and is billed as "co-director." Lund had become familiar with Rio's slum-dwellers through her work on music videos and documentary films. The shape of the film, including its flashback structure and use of quick cutting and hand-held camera, is largely that of Fernando Meirelles, whose later work includes coverage of the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics in Rio. And that reliance on flashy camerawork and narrative tricks is, I think, the greatest flaw of City of God. It detracts from some of our involvement in the lives of its characters, turning away from documentary-like reality into sheer "movie-making." Nevertheless, the film successfully immerses us in the violent lives of the people of the favelas. It was a significant critical and even commercial hit, earning four Oscar nominations, a rare feat for a foreign-language film, although it wasn't submitted by Brazil for the foreign-language Oscar. Instead it was nominated for best director, best adapted screenplay, cinematography, and film editing. Some controversy arose when only Meirelles was cited in the directing nomination, but the Academy has strict eligibility rules, and Lund's credit of "co-director" was judged to be a disqualifier. Given my reservations about Meirelles's use of the camera, I think maybe Lund deserved the nomination more than he did.

[firelise]

Film & TV I Think About A Lot » City of God / Cidade de Deus (2002) dir. Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund

Sun is for everyone, beach for a few.

[naturalbrunett3]

"Know what I'm thinking, Benny?... We could go away from here. This violence sucks."

City of God (2002, dir. Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund)

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City of God (Fernando Meirelles/Kátia Lund, Brazil, 2003)

[victusinveritas]

City of God (2002)

Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

[01ology]

City of God, dir. Fernando Meirelles & Kátia Lund

[closetofcuriosities]

City of God (Cidade de Deus) - 2002 - Dir. Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund

"Gangsters never stop. They just take a break."

[movie-gate]

Cidade De Deus (2002) Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

[visualpoett]

City of God (2002)

Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

[addictivecontradiction]

Cidade de Deus, 2002

[byneddiedingo]

Jean-Paul Belmondo in That Man From Rio (Philippe de Broca, 1964)

Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Françoise Dorléac, Jean Servais, Roger Dumas, Daniel Ceccaldi, Milton Ribeiro, Ubriacy De Oliveira, Adolfo Celi, Simone Renant. Screenplay: Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Ariane Mnouchkine, Daniel Boulanger, Philippe de Broca. Cinematography: Edmond Séchan. Production design: Mauro Monteiro. Film editing: Françoise Javet. Music: Georges Delerue. 

With its nonstop silliness, Philippe de Broca's That Man From Rio became a big international commercial success, but more surprising, it got an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, written by de Broca with Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Ariane Mnouchkine, and Daniel Boulanger. It's usually characterized as a spoof of James Bond films, with their glamorous locations and over-the-top action sequences, but if a spoof is intended to laugh its target out of existence, That Man only whetted audiences' appetites for more of the same. One of its stars, Adolfo Celi, who pays the unscrupulous, fabulously wealthy Mário de Castro, turned up the following year as the unscrupulous, fabulously wealthy Bond villain Emilio Largo in Thunderball (Terence Young, 1965). And it's easy to see touches of That Man From Rio in later action-adventure films, such as the Indiana Jones series, which like de Broca's film centered on archaeological treasure hunting. In That Man From Rio, the location of a priceless treasure is discovered by lining up the sun's rays through the lens in an ancient statue, just as Indiana Jones uses the sun's rays and an ancient artifact to discover the location of the Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981). Jean-Paul Belmondo's Adrien picks up the help of a Rio shoeshine boy called Sir Winston (Ubriacy De Oliviera), just as Harrison Ford's Indy picks up a kid sidekick called Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Spielberg, 1984). Still, That Man From Rio stands on its own for its goofy energy, most of which is supplied by Belmondo, who with his ex-boxer's mug and physique is entirely credible flinging himself into whatever improbable situation he is called on to fight (or swim or climb or swing from vines) his way out of. Françoise Dorleac is the giddy heroine, Agnès, who spends much of the first part of the movie drugged out of her mind and never seems to find her way fully back to sobriety. It's only in retrospect -- 59 years worth of retrospect -- that the film turns sour. Today, we can see it as part of the playing out of a post-colonial environmental nightmare. There are no slums to be seen in the film's Rio: Sir Winston lives in a neatened up favela nothing like the one you see in City of God (Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, 2002). The city of Brasília, still under construction when the film was made, is treated as a setting for Belmondo's stunts and for elaborate parties, though perhaps some of the bleakness and sterility of its urban-planning megalomania is hinted at. And at the end our hero and heroine are "rescued" by construction crews blasting and bulldozing their way through the rain forest, constructing highways that will connect to the country's new capital. There's no apparent suggestion that this constitutes a kind of environmental rape, although the villainous archaeologist (Jean Servais) is buried along with what might have been a valuable site. De Broca does allow us a glimpse of an Indian family looking on in astonishment at the raw earth uncovered by the bulldozers pushing their way through what must have been their neighborhood. It's a fleeting moment, however, one quickly passed over as Adrien and Agnès ride a truck back to civilization.

[massiekorbin]

Korbin Massie

City of God

World Cinema

Analytical Review of City of God

City of God (2002), directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, dives deeply into themes of poverty, violence, and survival within Rio de Janeiro. Adapted from Paulo Lins's autobiographical novel, the film sheds light on the challenging and often harsh lives of different individuals caught in cycles of crime, economic problems, and social neglect. Although centered on gang rivalries and drug wars, *City of God* goes beyond typical crime drama, critiquing systematic inequality and showing how environments lacking structural support lead people down paths marked by violence, limited opportunity, and the pursuit of power.

One of City of God's standout elements is its nonlinear structure and layered perspective. The story is narrated by Rocket, a young photographer whose detached viewpoint offers insight into the issues of the city. His narration shows flashbacks and present-day events, offering a view into the characters’ pasts and showing how power dynamics change over time.

Rocket’s role as narrator adds a layer of complexity. Growing up in the city, he is both an insider to its struggles and an outsider in his desire to escape through photography. His detachment from the violence, both a way of coping and a product of his artistic aspirations, encourages viewers to assess the unfolding events. Unlike the gang members who seek control through violence, Rocket’s pursuit of a different life path shows a personal struggle for identity that extends beyond the city’s borders.

The film’s style is visually striking, creating an experience that feels both documentary-like and cinematically intense. César Charlone uses handheld shots, quick pans, and close-ups to capture the energy and unpredictability of life in the slums, aligning with the directors’ commitment to realism. The choice to cast non-professional actors, many from similar backgrounds, further enhances the story's authenticity, giving the characters a real, grounded feel instead of making them seem unauthentic. 

The use of color and lighting is also significant. Gritty, sun-soaked visuals emphasize the intense heat and crowded nature of the slums, while faded, dusty hues evoke a sense of evil and hopelessness. Occasional bright colors fill certain scenes, highlighting the cultural vibrancy of the city despite its harsh conditions. This visual style isn’t just for aesthetic effect, it serves as a commentary on the comparison of beauty and brutality that defines life there.

The film’s themes revolve around survival, power, and the brutal cycle of violence that clings to its characters. The city functions as an isolated ecosystem where government and social services are nearly absent, leaving crime as a primary survival mechanism and power gained through violence. Characters like Lil Ze and Benny represent different approaches to navigating this environment. Lil Ze personifies an unchecked drive for dominance, enjoying the violence he brings upon others, whereas Benny, despite his gang affiliation, seeks peace and connection. Their contrasting paths show how responses to the same harsh conditions can lead to drastically different outcomes, though both are inevitably shaped by the city’s boundaries.

[cleoenfaserum]

THE CITY of GOD (2002)

source: https://www.tumblr.com/haveyouseenthismovie-poll/741533480021803008?source=share

City of God (Portuguese: Cidade de Deus) is a 2002 Brazilian epic action crime film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund. Bráulio Mantovani’s script is adapted from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins, but the plot is also loosely based on real events. It depicts the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s, with the film’s closure depicting the war between the drug dealer Li’l Zé and vigilante-turned-criminal Knockout Ned. The tagline is “If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.”

1049-1LINK https://youtu.be/ASPvpdaQpRQ

Most of the actors were residents of favelas such as Vidigal and the Cidade de Deus itself.

City Of God received widespread critical acclaim and garnered four nominations at the 76th Academy Awards; Best Cinematography (César Charlone), Best Director (Meirelles), Best Film Editing (Daniel Rezende), and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Mantovani). In 2003, it was Brazil’s entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but it did not end up being nominated as one of the five finalists. It is frequently listed by many critics and audiences as one of the greatest films of the 21st century and one of the best films of all-time.

The following list are the films THE CITY OF GOD lost too.

Meirelles and Lund went on to create the City of Men TV series and its 2007 film adaptation, which share some of the actors (notably leads Silva and Darlan Cunha) and their setting with City of God.

City of God (2002 film) — Wikipedia IMdB 8'6

THE FILM

1049-2 LINK https://ok.ru/video/7841985071667

notes:

City of God (2002 film) — Wikipedia

76th Academy Awards — Wikipedia