Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on City Of God

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

City of God is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund. The story was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by Paulo Lins. However, the movie characters are not fictitious and the plot is based upon real events. It follows the growth of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s. The end of the film shows the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and the criminal Knockout Ned. City of God was ranked third in Film4's "50 Films to See Before You Die", and No.6 on The Guardian's "The 25 Best Action Movies Ever".

The movie's tagline is: "If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you", (a Portuguese proverb similar to the English "Damned if you do, damned if you don't"). It describes the hopelessness of being involved in criminal activity in Rio's favelas. Most of the cast were from real-life favelas, including the real-life City of God itself. About a hundred children were hand-picked and placed into an "actors' workshop" for several months. Their training focused on simulating authentic street-war scenes, such as a hold-up, a scuffle, a shoot-out, etc. After filming, it was too dangerous for the young actors to return to their old lives in the favelas and so help groups were set up for them to build lives elsewhere.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_God_%282002_film%29 

  TRAILER AND POSTER

CITY OF GOD POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

CITY OF GOD TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	novel	a.	residential area
2	fictitious	b.	pretending
3.	plot	c.	false
4.	suburb	d.	actors
5.	ranked	e.	saying
6.	proverb	f.	book
7.	damned	g.	in another place
8.	cast	h.	storyline
9.	simulating	i.	listed
10.	elsewhere	j.	doomed

PHRASE MATCH

1.	the 1997 novel	a.	crime
2	It follows the growth of organized	b.	if you don't
3.	the end of the 1960s and the	c.	before you die
4.	drug	d.	of the same name
5.	50 films to see	e.	picked
6.	Damned if you do, damned	f.	dealer
7.	the hopelessness of being involved	g.	set up for them
8.	About a hundred children were hand-	h.	elsewhere
9.	help groups were	i.	in criminal activity
10.	build lives	j.	beginning of the 1980s

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

City of God is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles (1) ___________________ Kátia Lund. The story was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the 1997 novel of the (2) _______________________ Paulo Lins. However, the movie characters are not fictitious and (3) __________________ real events. It follows the growth (4) ___________________ in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro between the end of the 1960s and (5) _____________________ 1980s. The end of the film shows the war between the drug dealer Li'l Zé and the criminal Knockout Ned. City of God (6) ___________________ Film4's "50 Films to See Before You Die", and No.6 on The Guardian's "The 25 Best Action Movies Ever".

The movie's tagline is: "If you run, (7) ___________________; if you stay, the beast eats you", (a Portuguese proverb similar to the English "Damned if you do, damned if you don't"). It describes the hopelessness (8) ___________________ criminal activity in Rio's favelas. (9) ___________________ were from real-life favelas, including the real-life City of God itself. About a hundred children (10) ___________________ and placed into an "actors' workshop" for several months. Their training focused on simulating authentic street-war scenes, (11) ________________, a scuffle, a shoot-out, etc. After filming, it was too dangerous for the young actors to return to their old lives in the favelas and so help groups were (12) ___________________ build lives elsewhere.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	The story was dadeapt by Bráulio Mantovani
2.	the movie characters are not sfiuttoiic
3.	the roghtw of organized crime
4.	the ieiggnnnb of the 1980s
5.	drug drelae
6.	the mliracin Knockout Ned
Paragraph 2
7.	a Portuguese repbrov
8.	It sirbcsdee the hopelessness
9.	Most of the cast were from lrae-file favelas
10.	an actors' okhorwsp
11.	simulating tituenhac street-war scenes
12.	build lives eerlehsew

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

city of god is a 2002 brazilian crime drama film directed by fernando meirelles and co-directed by kátia lund the story was adapted by bráulio mantovani from the 1997 novel of the same name written by paulo lins however the movie characters are not fictitious and the plot is based upon real events it follows the growth of organized crime in the cidade de deus suburb of rio de janeiro between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s the end of the film shows the war between the drug dealer li'l zé and the criminal knockout ned city of god was ranked third in film4's "50 films to see before you die" and no6 on the guardian's "the 25 best action movies ever"

the movie's tagline is "if you run the beast catches you if you stay the beast eats you" (a portuguese proverb similar to the english "damned if you do damned if you don't") it describes the hopelessness of being involved in criminal activity in rio's favelas most of the cast were from real-life favelas including the real-life city of god itself about a hundred children were hand-picked and placed into an "actors' workshop" for several months their training focused on simulating authentic street-war scenes such as a hold-up a scuffle a shoot-out etc after filming it was too dangerous for the young actors to return to their old lives in the favelas and so help groups were set up for them to build lives elsewhere

  INSERT THE VOWELS

C_ty _f G_d _s _ 2002 Br_z_l__n cr_m_ dr_m_ f_lm d_r_ct_d by F_rn_nd_ M__r_ll_s _nd c_-d_r_ct_d by Kát__ L_nd. Th_ st_ry w_s _d_pt_d by Brá_l__ M_nt_v_n_ fr_m th_ 1997 n_v_l _f th_ s_m_ n_m_ wr_tt_n by P__l_ L_ns. H_w_v_r, th_ m_v__ ch_r_ct_rs _r_ n_t f_ct_t___s _nd th_ pl_t _s b_s_d _p_n r__l _v_nts. _t f_ll_ws th_ gr_wth _f _rg_n_z_d cr_m_ _n th_ C_d_d_ d_ D__s s_b_rb _f R__ d_ J_n__r_ b_tw__n th_ _nd _f th_ 1960s _nd th_ b_g_nn_ng _f th_ 1980s. Th_ _nd _f th_ f_lm sh_ws th_ w_r b_tw__n th_ dr_g d__l_r L_'l Zé _nd th_ cr_m_n_l Kn_ck__t N_d. C_ty _f G_d w_s r_nk_d th_rd _n F_lm4's "50 F_lms t_ S__ B_f_r_ Y__ D__", _nd N_.6 _n Th_ G__rd__n's "Th_ 25 B_st _ct__n M_v__s _v_r".

Th_ m_v__'s t_gl_n_ _s: "_f y__ r_n, th_ b__st c_tch_s y__; _f y__ st_y, th_ b__st __ts y__", (_ P_rt_g__s_ pr_v_rb s_m_l_r t_ th_ _ngl_sh "D_mn_d _f y__ d_, d_mn_d _f y__ d_n't"). _t d_scr_b_s th_ h_p_l_ssn_ss _f b__ng _nv_lv_d _n cr_m_n_l _ct_v_ty _n R__'s f_v_l_s. M_st _f th_ c_st w_r_ fr_m r__l-l_f_ f_v_l_s, _ncl_d_ng th_ r__l-l_f_ C_ty _f G_d _ts_lf. _b__t _ h_ndr_d ch_ldr_n w_r_ h_nd-p_ck_d _nd pl_c_d _nt_ _n "_ct_rs' w_rksh_p" f_r s_v_r_l m_nths. Th__r tr__n_ng f_c_s_d _n s_m_l_t_ng __th_nt_c str__t-w_r sc_n_s, s_ch _s _ h_ld-_p, _ sc_ffl_, _ sh__t-__t, _tc. _ft_r f_lm_ng, _t w_s t__ d_ng_r__s f_r th_ y__ng _ct_rs t_ r_t_rn t_ th__r _ld l_v_s _n th_ f_v_l_s _nd s_ h_lp gr__ps w_r_ s_t _p f_r th_m t_ b__ld l_v_s _ls_wh_r_.

  MARK THE SPACES

CityofGodisa2002BraziliancrimedramafilmdirectedbyFernandoMeir
ellesandcodirectedbyKátiaLund.ThestorywasadaptedbyBráulioMan
tovanifromthe1997novelofthesamenamewrittenbyPauloLins.Howe
ver,themoviecharactersarenotfictitiousandtheplotisbaseduponreal
events.ItfollowsthegrowthoforganizedcrimeintheCidadedeDeussub
urbofRiodeJaneirobetweentheendofthe1960sandthebeginningofthe
1980s.TheendofthefilmshowsthewarbetweenthedrugdealerLi'lZéan
dthecriminalKnockoutNed.CityofGodwasrankedthirdinFilm4's"50Fil
mstoSeeBeforeYouDie",andNo.6onTheGuardian's"The25BestActio
nMoviesEver".Themovie'staglineis:"Ifyourun,thebeastcatchesyou;i
fyoustay,thebeasteatsyou",(aPortugueseproverbsimilartotheEnglis
h"Damnedifyoudo,damnedifyoudon't").Itdescribesthehopelessness
ofbeinginvolvedincriminalactivityinRio'sfavelas.Mostofthecastweref
romreallifefavelas,includingthereallifeCityofGoditself.Aboutahundr
edchildrenwerehandpickedandplacedintoan"actors'workshop"forse
veralmonths.Theirtrainingfocusedonsimulatingauthenticstreet-
warscenes,suchasaholdup,ascuffle,ashootout,etc.Afterfilming,itwa
stoodangerousfortheyoungactorstoreturntotheiroldlivesinthefavela
sandsohelpgroupsweresetupforthemtobuildliveselsewhere.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  CITY OF GOD SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about City Of God in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "City Of God". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "City Of God". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "CITY OF GOD" POSTER: Make a poster about "City Of God". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "City Of God". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "City Of God". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	novel	a.	book
2	fictitious	b.	false
3.	plot	c.	storyline
4.	suburb	d.	residential area
5.	ranked	e.	listed
6.	proverb	f.	saying
7.	damned	g.	doomed
8.	cast	h.	actors
9.	simulating	i.	pretending
10.	elsewhere	j.	in another place

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)