City of God

I just watched the film City of God. Quite interesting. It's bassed in Brazil, in the slums of Rio De Jainero. It's about a kid who becomes a photographer. Sounds rather un-remarkable, but the filming is briliant. the cinematography makes you feel as if you're in the film. the camera dodges and darts and makes you feel a bit like time is moving especialy fast. some of the scenes feel so genuinely real that you feel like you're looking at after the fact photos, like those that are taken of bodies after a massacre.
it was a great film.
but that's not the entire point of this little diatribe. While watching it I couldn't help but think of another little gem telling of life in brazil I had encoutered before.
about 3 or 4 months ago, i read the book "Waiting for rain: the polotics and poetry of drought in northeastern Brazil" it was a book resulting from a Fullbright grant, and it was greatly interesting.
part of the reason City of God made this book pop into my mind, was the reality of the location of City of God. The City of God (the slum) was created partly for housing of propertyless drought refugees.
both are brilliant.
and I suggest you go out and watch City of God tomorow, and start reading Waiting for rain the day after.
seriously
get to it.