City of Men

Tonight I watched the last episode of the "City of Men" series that has been airing over the last few years on the Sundance Channel. From Wikipedia:

City of Men...was a Brazilian television programme from Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles, the directors of the film City of God....It is often cited as a 'spin-off' of the film; in fact, Douglas Silva who plays Acerola in City of Men also plays Lil' Dice (as a boy) in City of God. City of Men is less violent and more light-hearted affair. However, the two do share some common aspects: the directors, some of the actors, and the setting of the Brazilian favela (slum) with its background of gangsters and poverty. The programme tells the stories of Luis Claudío and Wallace, better known by their nicknames Acerola (Douglas Silva) and Laranjinha (Darlan Cunha), respectively, who are two best friends who live in a notorious Rio slum, in a community of drug-dealers, hustlers, and teenagers struggling to fulfill their dreams.

It's an interesting peak into life in Rio's slums and the tensions between rich and poor, black and white, honesty and crime. Though I thought it kinda jumped the shark in the series' last two episodes, it was certainly an enjoyable 4 seasons that I'd recommend folks check out. I was also pleased to see that there is a feature-length film in the works for this year.