2002, Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund

What a movie – about violence, redemption and survival. What makes a good man? and what is the nature of evil? Set in the slums of Rio, this film tells the story of two boys. One grows up to be a drug baron, the other a photographer. It puts guns in the hands of children, and shows how extraordinary the effort is to escape that world if you are immersed in it from birth.

While the film is stylish and romantic, with beautiful photography and funking Brazilian jazz music, it doesn’t ever flinch from outlining the horror and depravity of the world it portrays. It also lets us see the ordinary people caught up in the crossfire, trying to make a life in a world that is ruled by white grains and gunpowder.