Heleno

Women love him, men want to be like him. During the 1940s, Brazil’s greatest football hope, Heleno de Freitas, dribbled his opponents crazy in his Botafogo shirt. Even off the field, the charismatic playboy constantly vied for recognition, driving the club manager, his wife and various mistresses to the edge of despair with his explosive temperament. Above all, the quick-tempered genius stood in his own way. Heleno de Freitas was the first great star of Brazilian football, long before Garrincha and Pelé. In this biopic, José Henrique Fonseca reconstructs the tragic life of this passionate footballer and recaptures the atmosphere of 1940s Rio. (Zurich Film Festival)