''Lower City'' ( pt, Cidade Baixa) is a 2005 Brazilian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Sérgio Machado Sérgio Machado (born 19 September 1968) is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. His film ''Lower City, Cidade Baixa'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Filmography * ''Onde a Terra Acaba'' (2 ...

. It was released in Brazil and to international film festivals in

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

, including being screened in the

Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...

section at the

2005 Cannes Film Festival The 58th Cannes Film Festival started on 11 May and ran until 22 May 2005. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on 21 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Belgium, Belgian film ''L'Enfant (film), L'Enfant ...

. Its general release in the United States was in 2006 in New York.

Plot

Lifelong friends Deco and Naldinho share ownership of an old, rusting boat in

Salvador, Brazil Salvador (English: ''Savior'') is a Brazilian municipality and capital city of the state of Bahia. Situated in the Zona da Mata in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine ...

. A strong bond exists between the two men, transcending their racial differences. "No woman will come between us," Naldinho tells Deco, and Deco concurs: "All the women in the world couldn't come between us." That bond is tested after the men meet Karinna, a dancer and prostitute. Karinna needs a ride, and she offers the two men her "services" in exchange for transport on their boat and a little cash. The emotional entanglements that result from Karinna's "deal" are stronger than the trio expected. Deco and Naldinho develop a desire to possess Karinna. Karinna's desires are more subtle, though it is clear that she feels both a sisterly affection and sexual attraction toward the two men. Karinna gets pregnant and decides to abort as she does not seem to know or care who the father is. She puts the two friends at odds with each other, however they are able to overcome her destructive influence.

Cast

Lázaro Ramos Luís Lázaro Sacramento Ramos (born November 1, 1978) is a prolific Brazilian actor, television presenter, director, writer, and voice actor. He started his acting career with the Flock of Olodum Theater group, in Salvador, and is best known f ...

as Deco *

Wagner Moura Wagner Maniçoba de Moura (; born 27 June 1976) is a Brazilian actor, director, filmmaker, musician, and journalist. Wagner started his career doing theater in Salvador, where he worked with renowned directors, and soon scored some appearances ...

as Naldinho *

Alice Braga Alice Braga Moraes (; born 15 April 1983) is a Brazilian actress and producer. She has appeared in several Brazilian films, starring as Angélica in the acclaimed '' City of God'' (2002), Karinna in ''Lower City'' (2005), and Dolores in ''Only ...

as Karinna *Harildo Deda as Careca *Maria Menezes as Luzinete * João Miguel as Edvan *Débora Santiago as Sirlene *

José Dumont José Dumont (born 1 August 1950 in Bananeiras, Paraíba) is a Brazilian TV and movie actor, best known for his role as the family father in ''Behind the Sun'' (''Abril Despedaçado''), an award-winning film of director Walter Salles. More ...

as Sergipano

References

Notes

* Scott, A.O. (2006, June 16). ''A Love Triangle With Soft Edges''. The New York Times, p. B16

External links

* 2005 drama films 2005 films Brazilian drama films Films directed by Sérgio Machado Films shot in Salvador, Bahia 2000s Portuguese-language films {{2000s-Brazil-film-stub