City of Men (Series 1 & 2) - 2-DVD Set ( Cidade dos Homens )

City of Men (Series 1 & 2) - 2-DVD Set (DVD) (*)

$28.99

Original Title: Cidade dos Homens
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
Portuguese ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
United Kingdom ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
270 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
2-DVD Set
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2002 and produced in:
Brazil ( Latin America, Mexico )

Directed By:
Regina Casé
César Charlone

Written By:
Regina Casé
César Charlone

Actors:
Darlan Cunha ..... Laranjinha (Uólace)
Douglas Silva ..... Acerola
Leandro Firmino
Jonathan Haagensen
Phellipe Haagensen
Alexandre Rodrigues
Roberta Rodrigues
Daniel Zettel

Synopsis:

From the director of 'City Of God', comes 'City Of Men', a television spin-off series chronicling the struggle of Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha) and Acerola (Douglas Silva) trying to avoid the drug trade and survive in the violent streets of Rio De Janeiro. These two series of 'City Of Men', nine episodes in all across two DVDS, combine a sharp sense of humour with a startlingly grim reality and brings the freshest and most exciting Brazilian talent to the small screen.

Disc 1 (season 1)

* The Emperor's Crown

* The Man's Brother-In-Law

* The Post

* Uolace and Joao Victor

Disc 2 (season 2)

* Saturday

* The Two on Their Way To Brazilia

* It Has To Be Now

* The Ordinaries

* Hot Spot

In this original variation on the Latin American telenovela (slow, emotional soap), life in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian big city jungle, is told in short, fast alternating scenes from the viewpoints of two sets of characters, all youngsters, but from both sides of unequal life: generally dark-skinned street-kids, which rarely come to anything better then begging and street crime, and generally white boys from the middle and upper classes, like João Victor, who have a shot at a better future thanks to an actual education. Yet each group simultaneously hates, fears and envies the other at some level when their worlds physically touch but socially remain unbridgeable...

Season 1

A Coroa do Imperador S1, Ep1 Oct. 15, 2002

At school the children of the favela are told how the Portuguese crown was brought to Brazil, when Napoleon attacked Portugal. Acerola conceives Napoleon as something equivalent to the local gang-leader BB in his fights with other criminal gangs in the favela. Soon the schoolboys Acerola and Laranjinha get stuck in the middle of one of these fights.

O Cunhado do Cara S1, Ep2 Oct. 16, 2002

The gang-leader Deco falls in love with Acerola's sister Mirka. Because of this the social status of Acerola is changed in a twinkling. The young boy uses his new power to domineer and humiliate his former tormentors. When the love story between Mirka and Deco cracks, Acerola loses his protection and is in big trouble.

Correio S1, Ep3 Oct. 17, 2002

The postman cannot deliver the post in the favela, because the streets have no names and the houses no numbers. The ruling gangsters order Acerola to invent names for all the streets and put up signboards in all corners. But when the police gets hold of Acerola's handwritten map, the gangsters are in great danger.

Uólace e João Victor S1, Ep4 Oct. 18, 2002

Laranjinha, whose birth name is Uólace, is living on the streets while João Victor lives in a high-rise. As their paths cross, both teens worry about their own futures.

Season 2

Sábado S2, Ep1 Oct. 14, 2003

Dois pra Brasília S2, Ep2 Oct. 17, 2003

Tem Que Ser Agora S2, Ep3 Oct. 24, 2003

Os Ordinários S2, Ep4 Nov. 4, 2003

Buraco Quente S2, Ep5 Nov. 11, 2003

City Of Men (Cidade dos Homens) is a nine-part mini series, based on Fernando Meirelles' modern classic, City Of God (Cidade de Deus), which follows inhabitants of the Rio de Janeiro favelas through their lives.Like its parent film, City Of Men is an exciting mixture of gritty social realism and high-octane action. However, the filmmakers use the mini series format to delve deeper into the characters, and the reality of their situation. This approach was much more realistic than the approach taken by the film, as we see our two main characters, Acerola and Laranjinha, balance dodging bullets with job hunting and, in one memorable episode, trips to the beach. This is also useful from a dramatic standpoint because, like with all good TV shows, we are able to build relationships with these characters, and by the end, they become like old friends. We are with them every step of the way, as they discover girls, get in trouble with the law, experience racism and prejudice... through the good times and the bad, we see Laranjinha and Acerola grow. The acting of the young amateur cast was highly praised in City Of God, and several of the actors reappear in City Of Men, albeit as different characters. Darlan Cunha (Laranjinha) and Douglas Silva (Acerola) feature in most scenes, so it is a relief that they are so natural in front of the camera.The series doesn't have a particular narrative to speak of. Instead, each episode can be viewed as a snapshot of a different aspect of life in the favela (or, as it is called by the locals, 'The Hill'). As a result, the final episode is something of an anti-climax, as life continues, without a big exciting conclusion. However, this is the best way to view City Of Men, to understand that life DOESN'T stop just because the director yells 'Cut!', that The Hill really does exist, and this is how its inhabitants really live.

This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 10 May, 2006.

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