ginga soul

i've been in a world cup daze as of late. up early to catch the first games and centering lunch around the afternoon games. who would've thought? anyway, i was recently turned on to a series of videos that nike put out called "ginga." they are a bunch of mini documentaries about soccer players in brazil. one is about a kid who has one leg and still plays better than most. one is about "robinho," who plays for the national team and is immensely skilled. one is about a guy named "falcao" who has amazing footwork and is considered the best "futsal" player in the world. what is "futsal"? you'll have to watch to find out. the videos are beautiful and fun to watch. one thing you learn from all of them is how passionate people are about futbol in brazil. it truly is their life.

below is a more detailed description of what the videos are about:

from Resfest.com: "Described as the undefinable, mystical quality of movment that sets Brazilian futbol players apart from the rest, ginga is central to the athletic and cultural ingredients of Brazilian national identity. Produced by Fernando Mereilles (City of God, The Constant Gardener) and directed by three up-and-coming young filmmakers, Ginga is a slick, dynamic documentary that explores Brazilian life through the country's favorite sport, looking at the lives of different futbol players from different social backgrounds and regions of the country. Their stories yield a thoughtful, detailed portrait of Brazil's fascinating and complicated culture."

the quality isn't great, but you can view them at: www.video.google.com. just type in "ginga soul" ...