Lower City

Petty criminal Deco and amateur boxer Naldinho have been friends since childhood. They share everything, their boat they use for their illicit dealings and the prostitutes they pick up. They treat stripper/prostitute Karinna, who hitches a ride with their boat and let her pay with sex. When Deco is stabbed Karinna becomes more involved with the duo and the men, slowly, fall in love with her. Lower City is a story about friendship, a friendship which is tried to the maximum within the boundaries of a love triangle. It is also a story about passion – sweaty, and down and dirty – amidst the violence of the Salvador waterfront. A distant relative to Central do Brasil, but closer to Pixote and City of God, the directorial debut of screenwriter Sérgio Machado portrays life with a raw and realistic visual style with genuine and touching performances by three of Brazil’s up and coming actors. Lower City was awarded the 24th Prix de la Jeunesse at this years Cannes film festival. HENRIK EMILSON