The dark side of Rio de Janeiro: The movie Cidade de Deus, City of God (2002) revealed the rampant crime, police corruption and violence in Rios Favelas to the world. The setting, Cidade de Deus (City of God) in Rio became notorious – for many, it became the synonym for a Favela.
When judo fighter Rafaela Silva from Cidade de Deus scored the first Olympic Gold Medal for Brazil, Cidade de Deus became famous again. But everyday life is still a challenge – with conflicts between the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) and the druggang and lacking opportunities.
BTW: The movie was not even shot in the real Cidade de Deus, because the local drug gangs forbid the film makers to shoot there. Plus the real CDD is not really a classical Favela, but rather a slum. While Favelas in Rio are homegrown, piled up by the people in need of space to live, Cidade de Deus was a social housing project built by the city, that was overtaken by drug gangs later, a slum.
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