City of God (Cidade de Deus): A Brazilian film about growing up in the slums of Rio de Janeiro—Cidade de Deus—in the 1960s and 70s. It's based on the true story of a good kid who wants to be a photographer, not a small-time hood like his brother. The other main characters are hoods, including one shockingly vicious one who aims for no less than absolute rule of the slums. The rest of the huge cast is made up of multitudes of boys who follow the hoods to early, senseless deaths. In scene after scene, children wave guns around, and more often than not, point and shoot. Thus the film is bloody but it's never exploitative; some of the more horrifying violence is not even shown on screen. The corrupt police bring no respite from the chaos. But the "groovies" that the protagonist hangs out with—pot-smoking, peaceful kids who stay out of the gang wars—have warmth and humor. They just want to survive. And there is a small triumph at the end of the film, which allows you to survive the ordeal as well.