Karen Kikuta

City of God is more than just a film. It is an unflinching depiction of organized crime in Brazil, as seen through the eyes of Rocket, a young boy who dreams of escaping the violence overwhelming his community, the Rio de Janeiro slum known as Cidade de Deus.

Watching the film as a high-school senior, I was struck by its raw, vivid storytelling and by the brutal realities of the country I call home.

Growing up in a stable Brazilian family, with access to education, health care and opportunity, I was fortunate.