Lower City

"Cidade Baixa" redirects here. For other uses, see Cidade Baixa (disambiguation) and Lower City (disambiguation).

Lower City (Portuguese: Cidade Baixa) is a 2005 Brazilian drama film directed by Sérgio Machado, who is also one of the script writers. It was released in Brazil and to international film festivals in 2005, including being screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.^[3] Its general release in the United States was in 2006 in New York.

Lower City
Directed by	Sérgio Machado
Written by	Sérgio Machado Karim Aïnouz
Produced by	Walter Salles Mauricio Andrade Ramos
Starring	Lázaro Ramos Wagner Moura Alice Braga
Cinematography	Toca Seabra
Edited by	Isabela Monteiro de Castro
Music by	Carlinhos Brown Beto Villares
Production company	Videofilmes
Distributed by	Videofilmes Lumière Pictures
Release dates	16 May 2005 (2005-05-16) (Cannes) 4 November 2005 (2005-11-04) (Brazil)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Brazil
Language	Portuguese
Budget	R$3 million[1]
Box office	R$1,021,626[2]

Plot

Lifelong friends Deco and Naldinho share ownership of an old, rusting boat in Salvador, Brazil. A strong bond exists between the two men, transcending their racial differences. "No woman will come between us," Naldinho tells Deco, and Deco concurs: "All the women in the world couldn't come between us."

That bond is tested after the men meet Karinna, a dancer and prostitute. Karinna needs a ride, and she offers the two men her "services" in exchange for transport on their boat and a little cash.

The emotional entanglements that result from Karinna's "deal" are stronger than the trio expected. Deco and Naldinho develop a desire to possess Karinna. Karinna's desires are more subtle, though it is clear that she feels both a sisterly affection and sexual attraction toward the two men. Karinna gets pregnant and decides to abort as she does not seem to know or care who the father is. She puts the two friends at odds with each other, however they are able to overcome her destructive influence.

Cast

• Lázaro Ramos as Deco
• Wagner Moura as Naldinho
• Alice Braga as Karinna
• Harildo Deda as Careca
• Maria Menezes as Luzinete
• João Miguel as Edvan
• Débora Santiago as Sirlene
• José Dumont as Sergipano