a neighborhood that gained international fame after its starring role in the film of the same name is cidade de deus - the area is commonly confused for an organically formed community, whereas in reality it was a modern neighborhood inserted into the urban landscape of the city by the government, with the aim of providing services and facilitates to educate and develop the community and promote growth.

in the 1960s a slum eviction process took shape, in which residents in precarious and dangerous housing from 23 different favelas would be sustainably moved to constructed housing units in the cidade de deus, in the west zone of the city, located between the neighborhoods of jacarepaguá, guradénia azul, taquara and freguesia.

the policy was implemented by the then government of carlos lacerda, which chose the name in order to provide the area with a degree of religious appeal and power - all of the major streets and buildings in the area are concurrently named after biblical characters.

between the 1960s and 1990s a gang war ravaged the community, leading to innumerable deaths, great suffering and adverse social conditions for residents - the film cidade de deus, directed by fernando meirelles and starring genuine residents, brought this social strife to the forefront of media and political attention, and was arguably a springboard for great social activism and change.