Sunday Ball

Sunday Ball is a 2015 Brazilian sports documentary that is a passionate exploration of football, or what Americans call soccer, being the heart and soul of Brazilian culture. Directed by Eryk Rocha, the son of Brazil's acclaimed filmmaker, Glauber Rocha, the film is not only a representation of Brazilian soccer but also an in-depth study of a community's relation to this beloved sport.

Central to the film's narrative is the amateur soccer championship, Friends of Adjalmir Cup, also known as Peladao. Soccer lovers from various periods, classes, and neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro come together each Sunday to participate in this grassroots tournament. With a keen eye for detail, Rocha captures the beautiful chaos of these Sunday games, the fervor of the players, and the enthusiastic crowds, whether they are topless men loudly cheering or grandmothers fearlessly admonishing the referee.

This visceral, magical narrative of "Peladao" is set in the background of Sampaio neighborhood, sandwiched between the hills and the north zone of Rio de Janeiro. Sampaio provides a pitch not of lush greens, but an arena of hard dirt, filled with mollusks, and surrounded by improvised wooden stands. Rocha transforms this crude pitch into a storytelling canvas, capturing the grit, sweat, and raw emotion of the players on the field.

Sunday Ball perfectly encapsulates Brazil’s passion for soccer through its action-packed and energetic scenes. Rocha's signature cinema verité style and the visually stunning, organic way of handling his subject matter feels like an ode to his father’s legacy. The absence of any narration and the use of effectual sound design drops the audience right into the soul of the game and the community. The economic disparity in Brazil is hinted at subtly, but the focus remains firmly on the vibrant hubbub of football.

As the crisp black and white images unfurl on the screen, capturing the players’ intensity, the simplistic joy of playing, the fear of losing, and the exultance of winning, it hammers home one notion: the love for soccer is universal. It connects people beyond differences in class, race, and social background, providing a common ground of understanding and experiencing life. In the film, soccer emerges as a religion, a unifying force, bringing together men, women, and children to celebrate, to protest, witness, and be a part of this local phenomenon.

Wallace Firmo’s dynamic cinematography makes the film an immersive experience, capturing the nuances of the faces of players and spectators alike. The close-ups create an intimacy between the audience and the subjects, while the wide shots highlight the magnitude of the sport. It is a riveting documentation of the game, where the audience not only witnesses the matches but feels every slide and hears every cheer, making the experience essentially raw and human at the same time.

The film gradually reveals its characters, providing enough room for the audience to build a connection. There is no glorification or vilification; instead, each person is depicted as a mortal being, vulnerable and driven by the love of the game. From Sao Carlos, the veteran, who has been participating in the championship since it has started, to Hulk, the hot-headed powerhouse who has been ousted from every other team in the neighborhood. Their stories are unique, their dreams diverse, but their language, soccer, is universal.

Sunday Ball is not just a film; it is a celebration of human spirit, perseverance, and the universal language of soccer that transcends every football field in the world. It is a tribute to a popular culture that is accessible to all strata of society, bringing communities together in ways that still remain compelling in our evolving world.

As the football craze takes on a feverish pitch on the days leading to the championship, it becomes evident: Sunday Ball is not about dramatizing the game, but it's the game that dramatizes life.