City of Men

In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.

In the slum in Morro da Sinuca, a couple of days before turning eighteen year-old, Laranjinha tells his best friend and also orphan Acerola that he misses his unknown father. Acerola decides to help his needy friend to find his father and they discover that he is in prison convicted for killing a man during a robbery and near to be released on parole. Meanwhile, Acerola's wife and babysitter Cris is invited to work in São Paulo and she sees the chance to raise money to buy a house of her own; she tells Acerola that he must take care of their son Clayton alone for one year. When the owner of the hill and Laranjinha's cousin Madrugadão is betrayed by his right-hand Nefasto, he is expelled from the slum and Laranjinha and Acerola have also to leave the hill. While Madrugadão plots a plan to invade and recover the hill with the support of the gang of the drug lord from Morro do Careca, Acerola and Laranjinha unravel the past of their fathers.

Laranjinha and Acerola have the opportunity to go on a field trip with their history class. The only catch is that they need to come up with $6.50 for the trip. Soon the boys are hatching a dangerous plot to come up with the money.

Acerola's sister begins to have a relationship with the local drug dealer and that's when he finds that more and more people respect him. However, problems in the relationship cause things to take a bad turn.

Laranjinha and Acerola start work as mailmen, as they are told to by the local drug barons.

Acerola saves a rich boy from drowning and they become good friends. As the realization that people from different social classes hits them, they form a group called "The Ordinaries".

Acerola enters a group dance competition while Laranjinha's aim is to stay with three different girls all through the night and then take a fourth home.

The two take a trip to Brasília, to talk to Presidente Lula and give him a letter from an elderly prisoner.

When Acerola's mother goes out of town for the weekend and leaves him without a chaperone, the boys become swinging bachelors and vow to practice their romantic skills with some local girls. Will their Saturday night soiree turn out to be the love fest they envisioned?

When Laranjinha romances a pretty girl who just so happens to have a boyfriend, he ticks off her jealous beau and has to enlist Acerola for protection. Meanwhile, the boys try their hand at a small business to raise money for the favela's community center.

Learning about the breeding habits of tiny ants in school prompts Laranjinha, Acerola and their classmates to think big about their own sexuality. Meanwhile, Acerola strives to stay out of trouble by spending the day with the leader of the favela's community association.

Laranjinha is hit by stray bullet during gang shoot-out. At the hospital, Acerola searches for him.

Laranjinha and Acerola are hard pressed to earn money, but each one goes after it his own way.

Laranjinha gets to work as a DJ in the community radio station. Meanwhile, a rebel girl from the asphalt gets involved with the local drug boss.