Pelé: Birth of a Legend is an American biographical film about the early life of Brazilian footballer Pelé and his journey with Brazil to win the 1958 FIFA World Cup. The film is directed and written by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist.The film stars Kevin de Paula, Vincent D’Onofrio, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta, with Colm Meaney, and a cameo of Pelé himself. The film is centered on the relationship between the character Pelé and his father.Pelé: Birth of a Legend 2016
The principal photography started in Rio de Janeiro on September 2013, and the filming lasted until late 2014. The film was released to negative critical response, with film critics pointing out flaws in the narrative, criticising the lack of depth.Under guidance from manager Vicente Feola (Vincent D’Onofrio), young Pelé (Kevin de Paula) utilizes his street football skills to lead Brazil to the World Cup in 1958.Pelé’s football style derives from Ginga. As explained by the character De Brito: “It is primitive, but it has a long and rich history … It all started at the beginning of the 16th century … The Portuguese arrived in Brazil with African slaves. But the African’s will was strong, and many escaped to the jungle. To protect themselves, the run away slaves called upon the ginga, the foundation of Capoeira, the martial art of war. When slavery was finally abolished, the capoeiraistas came out of the jungle, only to find that capoeira was outlawed throughout the land.Ginga” was a promotional track released as a video. The song was not initially a part of the screenplay, but came organically as Rahman was intrigued by the word ‘Ginga’, which is a style of playing football. Rahman stated: “Ginga was one of the main things how Pelé won a match. I found the word very interesting.” By the time he finished recording the score, Rahman played the track to the makers who approved it.[18] In India, the song was launched at PVR Cinemas in Mumbai on May 9, 2016. At the event, Rahman elaborated on how YouTube videos and the existing Brazilian sounds helped him design the soundtrack and the theme for the movie.[23]