ater ▁group ▁and ▁began ▁acting ▁in ▁plays ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁eight . ▁ ▁The ▁biggest ▁break ▁of ▁his ▁young ▁life ▁came ▁when ▁da ▁Silva ▁was ▁picked ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 , 3 0 0 ▁applic ants ▁by ▁H ector ▁B aben co ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁P ix ote . ▁ ▁P ix ote : ▁A ▁Le i ▁do ▁Mais ▁F rac o ▁P ix ote ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁would ▁become ▁B aben co ' s ▁first ▁intern ation ally ▁successful ▁film . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁follows ▁four ▁young ▁boys ▁through ▁their ▁hell ish ▁stay ▁in ▁a ▁dict atorial ▁re format ory ▁and ▁their ▁subsequent ▁break out . ▁After ▁esc aping , ▁they ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁lives ▁as ▁children ▁of ▁the ▁street , ▁pick po ckets , ▁prost it utes , ▁drug ▁deal ers , ▁and , ▁eventually , ▁murder ers . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers ial ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁include ▁the ▁brut al ▁dep iction ▁of ▁sex ▁involving ▁children , ▁scenes ▁of ▁children ▁comm itting ▁acts ▁of ▁murder ▁and ▁drug ▁tra ff ick ing , ▁and ▁Lil ica , ▁a ▁ 1 7 - year - old ▁major ▁character ▁who ▁s ells ▁her ▁body ▁to ▁older ▁men . ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁P ix ote ▁became ▁a ▁huge ▁international ▁success , ▁even ▁ear ning ▁a ▁nom ination ▁for ▁best ▁Foreign - language ▁film ▁at ▁the ▁Golden ▁G lob es , ▁although ▁it ▁achieved ▁moder ate ▁success ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁An ▁estimated ▁ 2