Favela Law and City of God

Abstract

In this paper, I explore how law is expressed in a Brazilian film about one community’s transformation over three decades. I argue that through its use of cinematography and narrative strategies, Cidade de Deus (trans. City of God) reflects problematic assumptions about the people who live in favelas and the norms that guide their behaviour and relationships. The film depicts a favela marred by the hyperpresence and simultaneous absence of formal and official law. In contrast to that view, I highlight other representations, many produced by favela inhabitants themselves, which provide a more productive and relational understanding of the norms that exist and are constituted in these Brazilian communities.