A few of us were invited to a Nike event last night at the ICA. It was a Brazilian-themed evening involving Samba music, caiperinhas and the screening of ‘Ginga’, a new film from Wieden + Kennedy Entertainment in Portland.

Executive produced by Fernando Meirelles, the director of City of God, the film highlights football players at both the local and national level in Brazil, and captures six different players, in different regions and in various arenas of play all around the Brazilian wonderland – the beach, the street, the sandlot. The film is about an hour long, directed by Hank Levine, Tocha Alves, and Marcelo Machado from O2 Films. It’s a great film – the glimpses of the lives of these players are fascinating and their skills are astonishing. Even though at certain points the film slows down their tricks and dribbles so you can follow them more easily, it’s still hard to see just how they do it. I don’t know yet exactly what sort of a release the film will get but if you’re interested in magical football and the role the game plays in the cultural lfie of Brazil, it’s worth checking out.