Pele Forever

Every era and every country has its sports heroes, but nobody will dispute that Edson Arantes do Nascimento - nicknamed Pelé - was one of the very greatest. Born in 1940, this Brazilian won all the prizes in his extensive career that could be won. He conquered the world with the Brazilian national squad, excelled for 18 years at his club Santos in São Paulo and bade farewell in 1977 at the New York Cosmos, before launching a new career in show business and politics. Pelé Forever spotlights Pelé's glorious actions on the field, actions that still command admiration. The filmmakers did the donkey work by exhaustively perusing press archives. In addition, they spoke to diverse eyewitnesses, Pelé himself to begin with. Newspaper headlines, photographs and film footage have been interwoven into an effervescent film that is sure to intoxicate every soccer fan. Recent interviews are projected small-size in the foreground, while in the background old action footage plays on. We hear where Pelé got his nicknames from, we see tricks, fouls, arguments, whines, cheers and goals. Many, many goals. With his left foot, his right foot, his head, standing, falling backwards, dribbling, sliding, diving, caressing, ramming, stroking, hacking and blowing. And because Pelé's favourite goal was not filmed, an animation was made of it. Immortalised, after all. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)