"City of God" (Cidade de Deus in Portuguese) is a cinematic masterpiece that tells the story of two young boys, Buscapé (played by Alexandre Rodrigues) and his friend Lil' Diavolo (played by Leandro Firmino), growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro during the 1970s and 1980s. The film chronicles their divergent paths: Buscapé seeks to escape the harsh realities of favela life through photography, while Lil' Diavolo becomes embroiled in a life of crime. The movie is a semi-autobiographical account, drawing inspiration from the real-life experiences of its director and the stories of people they knew who lived in the favelas.