7. City Of God
Buena Vista International
The Drug: Cocaine Adapted from the novel of the same name by Paulo Lins, City of God shows the violence and corruption of illicit drugs at its most extreme and debased, exploring a world where absolutely no one is safe from its influence and children possess the same degree of ruthlessness and ambition as the adults. In the Brazilian favelas such as these life is at its cheapest, massacres are a part of every day life and escaping to a new life seems impossible. Shot with a degree of virtuosity few directors can match, City of God is a visceral experience which throws the audience into the fray head first and expects them to cling on for survival. It also has moments of beauty which feel almost surreal against the backdrop of aggression and bloodshed, and the cast of non-professional actors adds to its raw vitality.