The City of God | "If you run away, they catch you, and if you stay, they eat you."

Author: Cristian Galvis

More than an architect, I'm a dreamer and a strategist, so I invite you to analyze creatively.

NAME OF WORK: City of God.

AUTHORS: Written by Paulo Lins, directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Travel tours (unknown)

LOCATION: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

YEAR: 2002

GENRE: Action and drama.

I invite you to immerse yourself in the impressive cinematic work "City of God" and transport yourself to an urban labyrinth tinged with violence and inequality in the depths of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Here you will see how a favela is born and built.

City of God is the place where Rio de Janeiro hides its poverty. The architecture of this environment stands as another character in the plot, reflecting the complexity of the society that inhabits it even without water or electricity in the neighborhood. Between its winding alleys and improvised constructions, a microcosm is revealed where marginality converges with creativity and resistance, introducing us to the Trío Tenderness , as the first small-time "bandits" and their particular way of earning a living by raiding food to supply their people, like Peter Pan, quite a disruptive combination, don't you think?

I'll tell you how the architectural world of the City of God is defined by its chaotic mix of styles, from precarious brick dwellings to imposing concrete structures that blend with the heat and the bare feet of the people. These buildings, often constructed informally and without urban planning, shape the urban landscape and delineate the physical and social boundaries of its inhabitants. It's a place where the lack of resources is compensated for by inventiveness and adaptability, where every space is used to the fullest to satisfy basic needs, almost as if everyone owned everything.

But beyond their physical appearance, we realize how the characters delve into the world of drugs and little by little into the main focus of making money in the favela. You will meet Ze Pequenho, our hero, who since childhood involved in the lineage of crime, is gaining prominence in an empire that he himself creates, even with his own declared enemy, Mané Galinha . During the scenes we see how the war between two gangs led by these bandits unleash small dramatic stories in the fight for power of a territory, which becomes a silent witness to the injustices that are perpetuated in these marginalized communities, a tangible expression of the daily struggle for survival and dignity.

When viewing the City of God through the cinematic lens, we are forced to confront uncomfortable realities and ask profound questions about the nature of our societies and the role of architecture in shaping our communities. Small, shadowy houses are the perfect spot to show the neighborhood's degradation, although, well, what else could you expect from a place once dominated by small, armed children?

Dear reader, let me tell you that with this film, you have the opportunity to broaden your understanding of the world we inhabit and to empathize with realities other than everyday ones—unless you live in a Brazilian favela, of course. Although the story takes place in the 1960s, one thing that remains true today is how law enforcement agencies are another accomplice to the film's reality. The urban tribes show us how the ghetto has grown and how the social fabric is structured around criminal activity, drugs, and debauchery.

Finally, and I don't want to be a spoiler, but I want to tell you that our hero , Ze pequenho, leaves us with an important moral. If you want to be a journalist in this chaotic world, talk about misery and poverty, but never question the state or those in power. It would be a cowardly ending to an otherwise brave film.

City of God may be a superficial account of a community's poverty or a social critique of the marginalization of Latin society; you must decide for yourself as soon as you see it.