Sunday Ball (Eryk Rocha; Brazil, 2014)

This mesmerizing film captures the spirit of a championship soccer game between rival teams from Rio de Janeiro’s impoverished Sampaio neighborhood. More like a work of poetry than a traditional sports documentary, the film uses footage from various games to create an intimate portrait of favela football culture. With luminous cinematography and exquisite sound design, the film takes us inside the match along with the players, and we experience something more like a deep spiritual quest than a game.

• 70 mins