Country: Italy
Year: 2001
Duration: 90'
Garrincha was the mythical soccer right wing with crooked legs and with a fake that was always the same and always unbeatable. His story is told by director Paulo César Saraceni, the Brazilian grandchild of Italians, youthful soccer player himself and soccer aficionado. Saraceni interviewed Garrincha's first coach in his hometown of Pau Grande, 50 km from Rio and ran in the first little field of the future champion. Then there was Botafogo and the soccer World Cup. We hear the recollections of Chico Buarque de Hollanda and of great champions like Nilton Santos, Vav`, and Alfonsinho as well as of soccer historian Claudio Mello e Souza. Garrincha's history in Italy begins at the end of the 1960s when this champion in crisis flees from Brazil with singer Elsa Soares. This is a love affair that is scandalous and destructive. There were the two families and a crowd of children to support. This was a couple made with a diva at the height of her splendor and a king who was by then without a throne. Elsa comes to Rome numerous times. She first sings in clubs at the end of the dolce vita era. Her career is re-launched with a grand tour set up by Franco Fontana and Sergio Bardotti. Garrincha comes along as her escort, but dreams to return to soccer. The history of the couple in Italy is taken up by alcohol, love, and arguments. When he returns to Brazil, Garrincha ends up performing on carnival floats. He died in a hospital in 1983 at the age of only 50.
Biography
film director
Paulo César Saraceni
Paulo César Saraceni was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1933. He is one of the most important directors of Brazilian Cinema Novo. In 1961 he attended courses at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, and the following year he directed Porto das Caixas, his first full-length movie. He presented his film O Viajante at the 1999 Torino Film Festival.
FILMOGRAFIA
Arraial do Cabo (1960), Porto das Caixas (1962), Integração Racial (1964), O Desafio (1965), Capitú (1968), A Casa Assasinada (1971), Amor, Carnaval e Sonhos (1972), Anchieta, José do Brasil (1977), Ao Sul do Meu Corpo (1982), Natal da Portela (1988), O Viajante (1998), Garrincha (2001), Banda de Ipanema (2001).
Cast
& Credits
Director: Paulo César Saraceni.
Director of photography: Mario Carneiro.
Editor: Maurizio Lilli, Tommaso Liberti.
Production company: Marco Giusti e Monica Flores per Stracult/Raidue, viale Mazzini 14, 00195 Roma, Italia, tel. +39-06-38781.
Il film è stato realizzato per un programma di Marco Giusti, Roberto Torelli, Sal Mineo.
A program presented by Marco Giusti, Roberto Torelli, and Sal Mineo.
Director of photography: Mario Carneiro.
Editor: Maurizio Lilli, Tommaso Liberti.
Production company: Marco Giusti e Monica Flores per Stracult/Raidue, viale Mazzini 14, 00195 Roma, Italia, tel. +39-06-38781.
Il film è stato realizzato per un programma di Marco Giusti, Roberto Torelli, Sal Mineo.
A program presented by Marco Giusti, Roberto Torelli, and Sal Mineo.