Skip to content
City of God poster
8.4 / 10(8,534 votes)IMDbR20022h 9m$30.6M Worldwide GrossBrazil, France, Germany

City of God

Cidade de Deus

“If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.”

Synopsis

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.

Play Movie

Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes

Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.

DestinyOfficial

Type: Clip • Published 2017-03-03

Release History & Theatrical Window

World Premiere

Mar del Plata Film Festival

Festival / Special Debut

Theatrical Premiere

January 17, 2003

Wide Cinema Exhibition

4K UHD / Blu-ray Debut

November 6, 2003

Physical Home Media

Financials & Box Office Performance

ReleasedBlockbuster Success (9.29x ROI)

Production Budget

$3.3M

Filming & production cost

Worldwide Gross

$30.6M

Total global ticket sales

Box Office Return

9.29x

+$27.3M net gain

Theatrical Status

Mega Hit

Box office tier

Budget: $3.3MWorldwide: $30.6M

Key Information & Fast Facts

Director
Fernando Meirelles
Screenplay & Story
Bráulio Mantovani
Original Score
Antonio Pinto, Ed Cortês
Original Title
Cidade de Deus
Country of Origin
Brazil, France, Germany
Spoken Languages
Portuguese
Runtime
2h 9m
Production Budget
$3.3M
Worldwide Gross
$30.6M
Production Studios
O2 Filmes, VideoFilmes, Wild Bunch, Hank Levine Film & Music, Globo Filmes, Lumière

Creative Leadership & Key Crew

Director

Fernando Meirelles

Screenplay & Story

Bráulio Mantovani, Paulo Lins

Original Score & Music

Antonio Pinto, Ed Cortês

Director of Photography

César Charlone

Film Editing

Daniel Rezende

Producers

Donald Ranvaud, Juliette Renaud, Bel Berlinck, Elisa Tolomelli, Andrea Barata Ribeiro

Literary Origin & Source Material
Novel:Paulo Lins

Department Leadership Roster

Antonio Pinto

Antonio Pinto

Original Music Composer

Inês Salgado

Costume Design

Bráulio Mantovani

Screenplay

Daniel Rezende

Daniel Rezende

Editor

Renato Batata

Visual Effects Supervisor

Donald Ranvaud

Donald Ranvaud

Producer

Ed Cortês

Original Music Composer

Juliette Renaud

Producer

Tulé Peak

Tulé Peak

Production Design

Bia Salgado

Costume Design

Andrea Barata Ribeiro

Producer

Daniel Filho

Daniel Filho

Producer

César Charlone

Director of Photography

Marc Beauchamps

Producer

Vincent Maraval

Vincent Maraval

Producer

Age Classification & Content Advisories

Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.

Primary: R

R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

International Certification Matrix

Australia (ACB)R 18+
Canada18A
Germany (FSK)16

FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.

France (CNC)16

Interdit aux moins de 16 ans — 16+ only.

United Kingdom (BBFC)18

Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.

India (CBFC)A

Restricted to Adults (18+).

United States (MPAA)R

Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Official cinematic photography and background stills for City of God.

Featured In Curated Collections

Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring City of God.

Movie Collection

3566 titles

Watched Movies

1123 titles

Movies That I have watched all

All of my ratings are the movies that I have seen.

2585 titles

Movie Night Bingo

1132 titles

Latin American Cinema

Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.

202 titles

Filmes concluídos

148 titles

Similar Titles to City of God

Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling

  • 10.0
  • 5.9
  • 7.5
  • 8.7
  • 8.0
  • 7.0
  • 7.4
  • 7.4
  • 5.9
  • 6.3
  • 7.6
  • 7.0
  • 8.1
  • 7.6
  • 5.2
  • 10.0
  • 7.7

More Like City of God

Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.

7.8
7.0
8.1
6.9
7.1
8.2
7.4
6.7
6.3
6.7
6.7
6.3

Frequently Asked Questions About City of God

Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.

What is City of God about?

In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood, while José “Zé” Pequeno is an ambitious drug dealer diving into a dangerous life of crime.

Who directed City of God?

City of God was directed by Fernando Meirelles.

Who stars in City of God?

The principal cast of City of God includes Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Jonathan Haagensen.

When was City of God released and how long is it?

City of God was released in 2002 with a total runtime of 2h 9m.

What was the box office and production budget of City of God?

City of God had a reported production budget of $3.3M and grossed $30.6M at the worldwide box office (9.29 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).

Who composed the musical score for City of God?

The original motion picture soundtrack for City of God was composed by Antonio Pinto, Ed Cortês.

Is City of God based on a book or true story?

City of God is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Paulo Lins".

What is the age rating and content advisory for City of God?

City of God holds official age classifications: AU: R 18+; CA: 18A; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 16 (Interdit aux moins de 16 ans — 16+ only.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); IN: A (Restricted to Adults (18+).); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).