Originally planned for Argentina and Colombia in 2020, and then moved to 2021 due to the pandemic, the Copa America was finally switched to Brazil at the very last moment with games taking place from 13 June to 10 July 2021. Brazil had hosted and won the cup in 2019.
Group games will be played across four stadiums – Nilton Santos (Rio), Olympic (Goiana), Arena Pantanal (Cuiaba) and Mane Garrincha (Brasilia) – with the final to be played at the Maracanã in Rio.
The documentary looks back at the extraordinary period that Pelé, the only player to win three World Cup titles, went from a young superstar in 1958 to a national hero, amidst a radical and turbulent era in Brazilian history.
With rare and exclusive filmed access to Pelé himself, the film showcases the star reflecting upon his career. The documentary also includes rare archive and interviews from former legendary team-mates at Santos Futebol Clube and the Brazilian national team, including Zagallo, Amarildo and Jairzinho, as well as testimonials from family members, journalists, artists and other personalities who witnessed the golden age of Brazilian football. that culminated in Brazil winning the 1970 World Cup.
Despite all the challenges faced by the hospitality industry, the annual list of “Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants” was announced on 3 December. Bragging rights for the top spot went to Don Julio in Buenos Aires.
Nine restaurants on the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants are to be found in Brazil. They are A Casa do Porco, D.O.M., Maní, Evvai, Mocotó and Corrutela in São Paulo; Oteque and Lasai in Rio de Janeiro; and Manu in Curitiba.
The full list to give food for thought is:
Despite Covid-19 and lockdown Veja São Paulo has still managed to produce its annual guide to São Paulo’s bars and restaurants and pick its best in a number of categories.
As a taster the top three for Brazilian cuisine in São Paulo are Jiquitaia, Tordesilhas and Banzeiro; for contemporary it is D.O.M., Maní and Corrutela; for meat, Varanda (photo), Rubaiyat and Templo da Carne Marcos Bassi; for French, Bistrot Parigi, Chef Rouge and Président; for Italian, Evvai, Picchi and Fasano; for Trattoria, Lido Amici, di Amici, Moma (Modern Mamma Osteria) and Antonietta Cucina; for Pizza, Deveras Pizza, Carlos and Leggera; for Japanese, Kan Suke, Shin-Zushi and Murakami; for Portuguese, Tasca da Esquina, Costa Nova and Quinta de Santa Maria; and for Arab, Monte Líbano, Miski and Farabbud.
For the first time Brazil has chosen a documentary to represent it in the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. The film chosen by the Brazilian Academy (Academia Brasileira de Cinema) is Barbara Paz’s “Babenco: Tell Me When I Die” (“Babenco: Alguém Tem que Ouvir o Coração e Dizer Parou”).
The film premiered at the 2019 Venice Filme Festival where it won Best Documentary on Cinema. The film focuses on the last years of the life of filmmaker Hector Babenco who died of cancer in 2016. Paz was Babenco’s partner.
Babenco’s credits include “Pixote”, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (for which he was nominated for an Oscar), “Ironweed”, “At Play in the Fields of the Lord”, “Coração Iluminado” and “Carandiru”. Three of his film screened in competition in Cannes and he was also a member of the jury in 1989.
The 93rd Academy Awards is scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 25 2021.
South America has wrapped up the first four rounds of qualifying (out of 18) for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Ten teams are playing for four automatic places and a fifth play-off spot. Brazil has 100% record so far, beating Uruguay 2-0 in Montevideo on 17 November. Argentina is also unbeaten, winning 2-0 over Peru. Ecuador beat Colombia 6-1 and Venezuela surprised Chile 2-1. In the fifth game, Paraguay and Bolivia drew 2-2.
Next matches are March 2021 and will see two South American classics with Argentina playing Uruguay in Buenos Aires on 25 March and Brazil in Rio on 30 March.
The Mayor of São Paulo, supported by the Governor of the State, has signed a new five year contract, with a possible five year extension, to continue to host a Formula One Grand Prix in the city.
The race is now to be called the São Paulo Grand Prix, rather than the Brazilian Grand Prix, presumably to leave the door open for Rio de Janeiro to build a new circuit to host a Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 2020 Brazilian GP, scheduled originally for 15 November 2020, was cancelled like many races due to Covid-19, but São Paulo is provisionally, at least until the ink dries, on the 2021 schedule to host a race on Sunday, 14 November 2021.
The decision should be popular with the Formula 1 teams given the size of the Brazilian market for many of the sponsors.
The new Extreme E series is heading to Brazil in 2021 with one of the series five races, the Amazon Prix, scheduled for a damaged region close to Santarem in the state of Para.
The fourth race in the series is scheduled to take place from 23 to 24 October 2021 with the Glacier Prix wrapping up the season in Terra del Fuego, Argentina from 11 to 12 December. The series will bring electric racing to some of the most remote corners of the planet to highlight the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems, whilst showcasing the performance of all-electric SUVs in extreme conditions.
Extreme E has pledged to work with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), which has more than 24 years of conservation experience across the Amazon and a deep understanding of the major drivers of deforestation in the region. The project has been selected by Francisco Oliveria PhD – Extreme E’s Amazon Scientist and a leading Brazilian conservation expert with more than 20 years’ experience working on Amazon issues for the Brazilian government, WWF and at the University of Cambridge.
For more information about the Extreme E series click here
Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ “Bacurau”, that premiered in Cannes in 2019, won best fiction film, direction, original screenplay, special effects and actor (Silverio Pereira) at the 2020 Grande Premio do Cinema Brasileiro. “A vida invisível” (“The Invisible Life”) by Karim Ainouz was another multiple winner picking up the awards for adapted screenplay, art direction, costumes, cinematography and supporting actress (Fernanda Montenegro).
“Cine Holliúdy 2 – A chibata sideral”, by Halder Gomes, was chosen best comedy, and also won supporting actor for Chico Diaz, while best documentary went to Marcelo Gomes’ “I’m Saving Myself For When the Carnival Arrives” (“Estou me guardando para quando o carnaval chegar”). Best Animated Feature was “Tito e os Pássaros” by Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar and André Catoto and Best Children’s Feature Film was Daniel Rezende’s “Turma da Mônica – Laços”.
Sharing the actor prize with Silverio Pereira (“Bacurau”) was Fabrício Boliveira for his performance in“Simonal”, a film that also won the first time directing award for Leonardo Domingues as well as sound and soundtrack awards. Best actress went to Andrea Beltrão for “Hebe Camargo – The Star of Brazil”.
The Audience award went to Pedro Amorim’s “Eu sou mais eu” and best foreign film was Oscar winner “Parasite” (South Korea) by Bong-Joon-Ho.
Full list of winners at the 2020 Grande Premio do Cinema Brasileiro
Fiction Feature Film: “Bacurau”
Direction: Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, “Bacurau”
Direction – First Feature: Leonardo Domingues, “Simonal”
Actress: Andrea Beltrão, “Hebe Camargo – The Star of Brazil”
Actor: Silverio Pereira, “Bacurau”, and Fabrício Boliveira, “Simonal”
Supporting Actress: Fernanda Montenegro, “The Invisible Life” (“A vida invisível”)
Supporting Actor: Chico Diaz, “Cine Holliúdy 2”
Comedy Feature Film: “Cine Holliúdy 2”, Halder Gomes
Children’s Feature Film: “Turma da Mônica – Laços”, by Daniel Rezende
Best Animated Feature: “Tito e os Pássaros”, Gustavo Steinberg, Gabriel Bitar and André Catoto
Adapted Screenplay: “The Invisible Life”
Original Screenplay: Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles, “Bacurau”
Art Direction: Rodrigo Martinero, “The Invisible Life”
Visual Effects: Mikael Tanguy and Thierry Delobel, “Bacurau”
Costumes: Marina Franco, “The Invisible Life”
Makeup: Simone Batata, “Hebe – The Star of Brazil”
Cinematography: Helène Louvart, “The Invisible Life”
Editing – Fiction: Eduardo Serrano, “Bacurau”
Editing – Documentary: Karen Harley, “I’m Saving Myself For When the Carnival Arrives” (“Estou me guardando para quando o carnaval chegar”)
Sound: Marcelo Costa, Alessandro Larroca, Eduardo Virmond, “Simonal”
Soundtrack: Wilson Simoninha and Max de Castro, “Simonal”
Feature Documentary: “I’m Saving Myself For When the Carnival Arrives” (“Estou me guardando para quando o carnaval chegar”), Marcelo Gomes
Documentary Short Film: “Viva Alfredinho!”, Roberto Berliner
Animated Short Film: “Ressurreição”, Otto Guerra
Fiction Short Film: “Without Wings” (“Sem asas”), Renata Martins
Film- Audience Award: “Eu sou mais eu”, Pedro Amorim
Best Foreign Film: “Parasite” (South Korea) , Bong-Joon-Ho
Best Latin American Feature: La odisea de los Giles (“Heroic Losers) (Argentina and Spain) Sebastián Borensztein
Pay TV Fiction Series: “Tuning” (“Sintonia”)
Pay TV Documentary Series: “Breaking the Taboo” (“Quebrando o tabu”)
Open TV Fiction Series: “Cine Holliúdy”
Michelin has announced the restaurants in Rio and São Paulo to be awarded the prestigious Michelin Star for 2020. With two stars are Oro and Oteque in Rio de Janeiro and D.O.M. and Ryo Gastronomia in São Paulo. One Star was awarded to Cipriani, Lasai and Mee in Rio; and Evvai, Huto, Jun Sakamoto, Kan Suke, Kinoshita, Maní and Picchi in São Paulo.
In “Michelin 2020 Bib Gourmand,” the category that recognises more informal restaurants with good quality and good value cooking, six restaurants in Rio de Janeiro are listed in the 2020 Michelin Guide (Artigiano, Didier, Miam Miam, Lilia, Pici Trattoria, and Maria e o Boi) and 33 in São Paulo (AE! Cozinha, Ama.zo, Arturito, Baianeira, Balaio IMS, Banzeiro, Barú Marisquería, Le Bife, Bio, Bistrot de Paris, Brasserie Victória, Casa do Porco, Casa Santo Antônio, Cepa, Charco, Corrutela, Ecully – Perdizes, Fitó, Kith 2º Andar, Komah, Manioca, Mimo, Mocotó, Nit, Petí Gastronomia, Petí Americana, Piccolo, Più, Più Iguatemi, Tanit, TonTon, Tordesilhas, and Zena Caffè).
According to Michelin 85%, as of 20 September 2020 of Michelin Starred restaurants worldwide at 35 destinations are currently open for dining either inside or outside. In Brazil 72% of the Michelin Starred restaurants are now open, but in the US just 14% of Starred restaurants are welcoming guests again. In Europe, Belgium has 95% of its Michelin Starred restaurants back open; in Spain and Portugal, the percentages have risen to 86% and 93% respectively; while the UK it is at 73%.
