Jornal da Mostra

The ‘Day After’ Brazil left the World Cup registered 40% more audience in movie theaters
“Zidane, un Portrait du 21e Siècle”, by Philippe Parreno
Nº 423 > 29ª Mostra > 04/07/2006



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Leon Cakoff, para o ‘Jornal da Mostra’
Edição:
Renata de Almeida e Leon Cakoff

The ‘Day After’ Brazil left the World Cup registered 40% more audience in movie theaters

Documento sem título Less than a month before the first match of the soccer World Cup, the 59th Cannes Film Festival presented a special screening of the beautiful French documentary “Zidane, un Portrait du 21e Siècle”, by Philippe Parreno, portraying the ball artist favored by the most modern resources available – high definition digital, 17 synchronized digital cameras, along with the best resources of the old efficient 35mm cameras.

A premonitory film, even though it can be seen by non-French audiences as a cult to the player’s personality, it is impressive for one only and unarguable aspect: the physical training of the athlete Zinédine Zidane. Therefore, it wasn’t destiny’s irony to see Zidane’s performance in the classical battle of the French selection against Brazil. Zidane, in shape, was elected the best player of the match which withdrew Brazil, the favorite, from the 2006 World Cup. Nothing to be amazed about, when on Brazilian side the players were acting as real actors would act in a badly directed film.

Movies and soccer rarely get to an understanding to reach more audience. One thing is the World Cup, with the massacre of all media so that all matches are seen on TV and profit records are broken every four years, and to make all viewers react pathetically in behalf of their homelands and the colors of their flags. Another thing is to take spectators to the theaters to see films about soccer. Theory says it is women who decide about the success of a film and there would stand their resistance to films about soccer. In Brazil, at least, films with this theme are not successful, even if they would deserve so. Pelé might be one of the world’s most famous brands, second only to Coca Cola, but the most comprehensive documentary ever dedicated to him, “Pelé Forever”, by Anibal Massaini Neto, confirmed in the theaters audience averages much below normal levels.

“Bend it Like Beckham”, by Gurinder Chadha, was an international exception. It was successful (not in Brazil, again), but it held strong feminine and anti-racist appeals. It was about a teenager in an Indian immigrant family in London, who wanted to play soccer and date an English boy, provoking double negative reactions by her parents and the community.

Good news for the movies, at least in Brazil, with the elimination of its team from the World Cup: from Saturday (30/6) to the Sunday of the ‘day after’, there was a 40% increase of the audience in movie theaters in the country. A popular unconscious return to normality. In cinema, at least, special effects, fantasy, transposition, are fulfilled promises, and not only part of the publicity before the show. In the World Cup, special effects were more by the sponsor’s publicity, with rare matches played as show and art. Women must be right not to be deceived by the false promises of performance in soccer. Neither in stadiums nor in the movies.


Translation into English: Laura Rebessi (laurarebessi@gmail.com)

For further information:
www.festival-cannes.org




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