a remarkable study of recent brazilian history the film highlights the huge inequalities between rich and poor, white and black as each man represents the group to which he belongs, miguel heavily involved in an activist collective within the prison which rejects drugs and looks for better social conditions and jorge, who becomes part of a group which ultimately leads to the formation of the comando vermelho (red command), the most powerful drug trafficking organization in rio de janeiro.             

when the story comes back to the present, the two friends' lives again intertwine when miguel, now a senator tries to enlist jorge (now a favela crimelord)'s help with a campaign to combat gang violence in favela of santa marta.

more information is available on this webpage dedicated to the film.