The love story of Pele and football will continue to enthrall future generations, even though the Brazilian virtuoso passed away yesterday at 3:27pm local Sao Paolo time. The legendary footballer’s influence transcends the game and spills over onto the sphere of popular culture.
Here are four films and documentaries that celebrate the life and almost two-decade-long career of Pele.
Pelé (2021)
This 2021 Netflix documentary directed by Ben Nichols and David Tryhorn chronicles the life and football career of Pele. It describes Pele’s remarkable journey and documents his contribution to Brazil’s historic win at the 1970 World Cup. With rare and exclusive footage, the documentary showcases the star reflecting upon his impressive career.
Pelé also includes rare interviews of the footballer’s teammates at Santos Futebol Clube and the Brazilian national team, including Zagallo, Amarildo and Jairzinho. The documentary also contains extraordinary testimonials from family members, journalists, artists and other personalities who witnessed the golden age of Brazilian football. It shows how Pele came to be the expression of freedom for the people of a poverty-ridden South American country.
Watch it on: Netflix
Pelé: Birth Of A Legend (2016)
Jeff and Michael Zimbalist’s 2016 biographical sports film is based on the early years of Pele. A.R. Rahman scored the music for the film. Detailing Pele’s difficult early years in a small Brazilian town, Pelé: Birth Of A Legend traces Pele’s passion for the sport, his bond with his father, the influence of street football in his playing style and his acceptance in the Santos Futebol Clube.
The documentary depicts Brazil’s triumphant 1958 World Cup-winning campaign, where a 17-year-old Pele scored a brace to ensure a crucial role in his nation’s success. It also touches on weighty subjects like class and race tensions in Brazil in the 1950s.
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Pelé Eterno (2004)
Anibal Massaini Neto’s 2004 Brazilian documentary film chronicles Pele’s formative years. The film focuses on the footballer’s greatest achievements and interesting facts about his professional and personal life. It includes testimonials from iconic Brazilian footballers like Zico, Pepe, Mário Zagallo, Tostão, Rivellino and Carlos Alberto Torres.
Pelé Eterno captures the genius of Pele with never-before-seen footage from matches. It captures the footballer’s entire career from 1958 to 1974, showcasing how Pele has single-handedly changed the game with his amazing array of skills and football intelligence.
Watch it on: Vimeo Premium
Special Mention: Escape to Victory (1981)
In 1981, after starring in several Brazilian TV Shows and films (mostly as himself), Pele starred in this sports war film to make his Hollywood debut. Directed by John Huston, Escape to Victory also stars Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and Max von Sydow.
It follows a group of Allied prisoners of war who are interned in a German prison camp during World War II. They will have to play an exhibition football match against a German team. Pele plays a British soldier named Luis Fernandez in the film.
Watch it on: YouTube
