Fire Mouth

It’s a blisteringly hot day at the soccer stadium in the city of Salgueiro, in the heart of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. The sun beats down mercilessly on the breezeless concrete stands. The home team Carcará, named for a Brazilian bird of prey, needs to win. It may be a big game for the players, but the weather seems to have put off the fans—just a scattering of supporters are braving the heat in the stands or on the sidelines. Up in his broadcast booth, Didi "Fire Mouth" Souza is delivering his ever-impassioned commentary. All of this and more is shot in moody black and white, giving the film an almost abstract quality. There are only details of people and the surroundings, and at no point do we see anything of the game or the players themselves. The voice of the commentator forms the soundtrack, with its background of chanting supporters and radio noise.