Here in Brazil football is the most popular sport and nearly everyone in the country likes a team. And many take this passion as a religion. It may sound like an exaggeration, but that's the way this sport is seen within our borders.
"Democracia em Preto e Branco", which can be literally translated as "Democracy in Black and White", goes beyond it, and shows that football can - or at least could at that time - be deeply involved with politics.
Actually, the film deals with one of the most beautiful moments of our history, the fight for democracy and for the right to vote for president.
More specifically, the movie is about the democratic way Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, the most popular and successful club in São Paulo and certainly of the biggest football powers in Brazil, took its decisions, both in football and in the administration.
At that time, when Brazil was under the 21 year dictatorship of military government, the players could give opinion about hirings, decided to eliminate concentration before games and freely defined that prizes should be equally shared not only among athletes, but also with all the other employees (drivers, janitors, bodyguards, laundry people...)
At the games, the team played with its traditional black and white T- shirts (the colours described in the title of the movie) saying "Corinthians Democracy" and "on the 15th of November, vote". Those were things no other club or any other sport institution dared to at that time.
"Democracia em Preto e Branco" is a film everybody should see, for it is not only about football or sport. It's about freedom and the right to take decisions democratically.
"Democracia em Preto e Branco", which can be literally translated as "Democracy in Black and White", goes beyond it, and shows that football can - or at least could at that time - be deeply involved with politics.
Actually, the film deals with one of the most beautiful moments of our history, the fight for democracy and for the right to vote for president.
More specifically, the movie is about the democratic way Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, the most popular and successful club in São Paulo and certainly of the biggest football powers in Brazil, took its decisions, both in football and in the administration.
At that time, when Brazil was under the 21 year dictatorship of military government, the players could give opinion about hirings, decided to eliminate concentration before games and freely defined that prizes should be equally shared not only among athletes, but also with all the other employees (drivers, janitors, bodyguards, laundry people...)
At the games, the team played with its traditional black and white T- shirts (the colours described in the title of the movie) saying "Corinthians Democracy" and "on the 15th of November, vote". Those were things no other club or any other sport institution dared to at that time.
"Democracia em Preto e Branco" is a film everybody should see, for it is not only about football or sport. It's about freedom and the right to take decisions democratically.
