Rodrigo Pimentel is a former member of BOPE, the elite group of the Brazilian Military Police. He co-wrote both films of director José Padilha

José Padilha

José Padilha is an award-winning Brazilian film director and producer.Padilha emerged onto the Brazilian movie scene with his first feature film Bus 174. In 2007, Padilha directed The Elite Squad , his first fictional film. The film was a commercial and critical success, seen by more than 11...

, The Elite Squad (Tropa de Elite) (based on a book he co-wrote with sociologist Luiz Eduardo Soares

Luiz Eduardo Soares

Luiz Eduardo Soares , is a Brazilian anthropologist, philosopher and political scientist.-Activities:...

) and Bus 174

Bus 174

Bus 174 is a Brazilian documentary film released on October 22, 2002. It is the debut film of director José Padilha and co-director Felipe Lacerda. Sandro do Nascimento, a young man from a poor background, bungled a robbery and ended up holding the passengers on a bus hostage for four hours. The...

 (Onibus 174). Rodrigo Pimentel is also noted to have participated in the Brazilian documentary by João Moreira Salles

João Moreira Salles

João Moreira Salles is a Brazilian documentarian and president of the Instituto Moreira Salles. In 2006, he founded the magazine piauí. He has also taught courses on documentary at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro and Princeton University...

, News From a Personal War (Noticias de uma Guerra Particular).

In an interview regarding Tropa de Elite, he stated that the main character, Capitão Nascimento was a person with problems and claimed to be surprised at the public's strong positive reaction towards the character.