Interview with the red-black advisor Alexandre Niemeyer, transcribed from the newspaper OGlobo

Rusty, football-art tries to beat time

With 70 minutes of footage from Pelé to Romário, Canal 100 seeks preservation and a new path on the internet\ Pedro Motta Gueiros \

The Globe

The name of the newsreel multiplied by Pelé's jersey number equals the milestone reached by Romário. In the 30 years that separated the birth of two thousand-goal scorers, Maracanã was the stage for cinematic football. The first images on Channel 100 were captured in 1957, along with the steps of the young man who would soon acquire the royal crest and his successors parade to the cadence of Luís Bandeira's samba. Beyond the height of Brazilian football, Carlinhos Niemeyer's cameras accompanied the Zico Era and the awakening of Romário. In 1986, they were turned off as if they couldn't capture more beauty. Today, the artistic football and the 70-minute archive cry out for help, but with just a click, the past returns in real time.

- We are showing old films and new images to attract young people and to draw attention to the need to restore the collection - said heir Alexandre Niemeyer, who is dedicated to preservation while also pointing the lens to the future at www.canal00.com.br.

Narration by Cid Moreira and the aesthetics of Cinema Novo

Born the same year as the channel, Alexandre's life is intertwined with nearly 10 film cans. In his childhood, instead of the rust and mold that accumulate today, films exuded the freshness of newness. At a time when television news was still in its infancy, by law, cinemas presented a weekly 10-minute magazine. In the last four minutes, the big screen and close-ups magnified the idols and emotions of Maracanã. With Cid Moreira's commentary and the drums beating as the net shook, cinema was a channel where the beauty of the game was multiplied a hundredfold.

"That came from Cinema Novo, from the aesthetics of the documentary," Alexandre said, recalling that his father worked with Nelson Pereira dos Santos on "Garrincha, Alegria do Povo" before putting the camera and the channel's concepts in the hands and mind of Francisco Torturra. "He continued the magic. Photographically, the cool thing was that there were no advertising boards. The lens only captured the players and the fans."

His heart recorded much more. His memories come from the days when children could run through the streets and soccer in the movies was the greatest entertainment. Every Friday, Alexandre would leave school in Botafogo with a group of friends and head to the production company in the neighborhood to see the upcoming release. Today, he's still with him on his mission to keep young people running in search of the latest releases. With the restoration of other archives under his belt, his partner Luís Carlos de Oliveira is a treasure hunter:

- Owners do not have the right to hide their collections; they are part of our culture.

Away from theaters since a showcase in the 90s, Canal 100 is closer to nature. On a seaside mountain, the house's doors open to the past. Those arriving by car are accompanied by docile Labradors until the barking of a Rottweiler upon arrival warns that the place requires caution. Hidden in a green bubble of Atlantic Forest, the best moments of the Maracanã rest there, while dehumidifiers work nonstop.

Niemeyer's refuge has the feel of a farmhouse. Rural and archaeological, capable of offering new interpretations of history. For each edition of Canal 100, there's a 50-minute soccer slot. The old news is in film canisters, which, unrolled, would be enough to bridge the 2 km between Rio de Janeiro and Garanhuns, President Lula's hometown. Lacking the same connection with the government, as in the days when Getúlio Vargas legislated for mandatory national production in cinemas, the public interest in the archive remains.

The program has already digitized 10% of its collection. Besides soccer, there are Formula 1 films, social events, and beauty pageants, totaling 100 minutes. Each hour of the process, which transforms cinema into video, costs R$600. The solution needs to be global. The public, including internet users as far away as Korea, and Alexandre are awaiting approval of a funding proposal to restore the most endangered material, from 1958 to 1964.

- Today, there is salvation for everything in cinema - he stated.

From Pelé's thousandth goal to Romário's first in a final, the past is safe. Zico was a frail prospect when he was first filmed arriving at Gávea:

- We played his first game, with the number seven shirt - recalled Niemeyer, nostalgic for the newsreel, the best moments of his Flamengo and his father, who died in 1999, at the age of 72.

- Here, I go back to that time - he said, among the cans.

Canal 100 was in four World Cups and made two feature films

In 1963, he saw his first game, a Flamengo-Flu match at the Maracanã. These were the most exciting moments for Canal 100 and Brazilian football. In 1969, Carlinhos obtained permission to fly inside the Maracanã ring in a helicopter to film the 183.341 fans who broke the attendance record in the 1-0 victory over Paraguay, which qualified Brazil for the World Cup in Mexico. The newsreel was used at the 1966, 1974, and 1982 World Cups and was the basis for the feature films "Brasil Bom de Bola" and "Histórias do Flamengo."

Now, with digital technology, he aims to be close to the national team and the Maracanã stadium once again. From the site to the website, all that's left is to multiply Romário's goals by the name of the newsreel so that the 100 minutes of the archive are within reach of hands, eyes, and hearts. With a click.