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Exclusive Photos: City of Men The follow-up to the acclaimed Brazilian film, City of God. Two young men struggle to stay afloat amid the drugs, violence, and poverty of Brazil's slums in the big-screen spin-off of Fernando Meirelles' critically acclaimed 2002 film, City of God. We've got two new exclusive images from City of Men, which opens in limited release this week.





Co-directors Meirelles and Katia Lund made a startling international debut with City of God, a shockingly violent but beautiful portrait of drug lords and gang warfare in the slums, or favelas, of Rio, and the tragedy of innocents who get caught in the crossfire. The success of the film -- Oscar-nominated in 2004 for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay -- spawned a spin-off mini-series for Brazilian television titled City of Men, which ran for four seasons and followed the gentler, but still at-risk, lives of two supporting City of God characters.

Now Mereilles collaborator Paolo Morelli directs a feature film follow-up to the series about best friends Acerola, called "Ace," and Larajinha, nicknamed "Wally" (played by Douglas Silva and Darlan Cunha, respectively, who played the characters on the series from age 13 to 17). Though uninvolved in gang life, the two 18-year-old young men are struggling on the verge of adulthood -- Ace an irresponsible young father, Wally reuniting with his estranged father, who holds a terrible secret.

Shot on location in Rio with a cast of mostly non-actors (as was City of God, remarkably), City of Men has garnered early support from critics. It opens in limited release February 29.