Roberta Rodriguez says the City of God opened doors for black people

summary
Actress Roberta Rodriguez highlighted the film “City of God” as a milestone in Brazilian cinema for opening the way for black and peripheral actors, being a turning point in representation and discussion of social issues, the influence of which remains present with the derivative series.

Actress Roberta Rodriguez, 43, spoke about the groundbreaking nature of the film City of God (2002), a national cinema classic whose world continues with the series of the same name, currently available on HBO Max.

According to the actress, who plays Bernice in both productions, the feature film was a real “turning point” in the film industry by ensuring, for the first time, a space for black and queer actors to shine on the big screen. Furthermore, she noted that the work was also groundbreaking in its African aspect, by placing black people in the lead role in their own stories.

She said: “In this project, we are talking about our country, and City of God was a very successful film because it brought to the big screen, for the first time, black actors and actors from the suburbs. Everyone says that the project had a lot of ‘non-actors’, but I was already an actress at that time. Alexandre Rodriguez (Buscabe) was already there too, you know?”

The actress then spoke about the legacy of the work. “It is undeniable that the film promoted a transformation in the audiovisual field, in Brazil and abroad as well. 20 years later, we have proven this legacy, with the series City of God: The Fight Never Stops. In the series we talk about real life, about the necessary issues that still exist, such as social issues, inequality, politics, and this need that our country has to really transform. “A lot of people say that sometimes it’s too violent, but that’s our reality.”

When talking about the series, remember that although a lot has changed in two decades – as the title suggests – some conflicts still persist. “This is what we are seeing, and every day it becomes more recent, and it is very worrying.”

Despite this, it positively highlights the space of black narratives that transcends pain. “The show also builds paths to moments of victory, which is key. We need our victories. As for Bernice, the victory of the character – who becomes a counselor – is a great achievement. We see a black woman on this screen, which makes it clear that we are winning, too.”

Finally, Roberta Rodriguez praised HBO Max and resumed the discussion about the importance of the production with a fringe topic today. “City of God is timeless, whether in film or series, because it speaks to a reality that is still present and largely dormant, unfortunately.”