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CineClub exclusive: City of God star Douglas Silva visits London, and the Jungle HQ

words by Ana Wambier
picture: Cláudio Soriano

The launch night and first screening of Jungle CineClub was a complete success! The Rich Mix was all sold out of tickets a few days before the event and inevitably, not everyone that wanted to see City of Men was able to get a ticket. The event unfolded with a Q&A with actor Douglas Silva – invited to London especially for the evening by Jungle – and then drinks flowed in the lounge with DJ Dolores on the decks ‘til midnight.

Following the launch night the Jungle team spent the day with Douglas, who said he adored the city (bar the cold) and the event. We all rolled over to a pub near the magazine, shared a bite to eat and raised a glass for the occasion, and Douglas demonstrated a little of the English he’s learnt – he’s doing a course at Cultura Inglesa in Brasil - and later he went off for a wander and to buy a cap.

First though we asked him a question or two:

This is your first time in London. Are you enjoying the city?
It’s great, apart from the cold. And today I even got caught in a hail storm! But I’ve not had much time to explore the city as I’ve been working from the moment I arrived.

What did you think of Jungle CineClub?
I thought it was a real cool night and I wreckon the English in the audience were really intrigued by the debate. They evidently really enjoyed the film. And the Jungle team are wicked.

Films such as City of God or Elite Squad were heavily criticised by many European critics because of the scenes of excessive violence. Do you feel that the audience here in London took this critical stance in relation to the film screened (City of Men)?
No, I don’t think they were shocked because the film isn’t just about violence. It’s got a few violent scenes, but the film deals a lot with the question of fatherhood for example more than anything else.

What did you think of the Q&A? Did you have any questions that were hard to answer?
The questions were really good in general. But there was one that I found a little difficult to answer, which was all about why it takes so long for the police to arrive on the scene in a favela after a clash between drug traffickers. And there are many answers to this question: both political and social reasons. This question truly engaged with the film. I also found another one interesting that questioned if things were to change in the favelas in which the film was shot, whether it would inspire the interest of the government to transform these communities.

The next Jungle CineClub night will be on May 8th at the Rich Mix. More about Jungle CineClub, click here