Where the BR cinema classics were shot, how to visit ethically and safely in 2026, and why a tourist drone hovering over a favela is the worst idea you can have.
Where the BR cinema classics were shot, how to visit ethically and safely in 2026, and why a tourist drone hovering over a favela is the worst idea you can have.
Cidade de Deus / City of God was shot partly in Cidade Alta (Cordovil) and in the original CDD. Today, visits to the original CDD only happen via the Cidade de Deus Tour Comunitário project (R$ 80-120/person).
Tropa de Elite / Elite Squad filmed in Morro do Vidigal, Complexo do Alemão and Tavares Bastos. Vidigal is the only one today with consolidated community tourism (Rocinha + Vidigal Walking Tour, R$ 100-150).
Amateur drones over a favela are illegal (ANAC + real risk of being mistaken for a gang drone). R$ 1,500 fine and seizure. Don't do it.
Central do Brasil / Central Station (1998) used the real Central do Brasil train station (free to visit) and Vitória da Conquista/BA + the Ceará backcountry for the sertão part.
Bacurau was shot in Barra (interior of Pernambuco), 3h from Recife. There's no preserved set village — it's a real hamlet, with no ready tourist infrastructure.
Where the BR cinema classics were shot, how to visit ethically and safely in 2026, and why a tourist drone hovering over a favela is the worst idea you can have.
