A massacre that occurred in the Baixada Fluminense transformed a documentary on survivors of massacres into a film on violence in Rio de Janeiro. On March 31, 2005, one month before the filming began, slaughter in the cities of Nova Iguaçu and Queimados would make a considerable change to the outline of the project. Reality as close meant the focus was directed on day-to-day life for the population of the region, showing deep social inequality and making death trite, as a commonplace means towards conflict resolution. The premise hovered on extermination, on the killers, and on the dwellers of the region and their wish to live.