Stronger Than The World

José Aldo grows up in a poor neighbourhood of Manaus, starts by fighting in the street and goes to Rio, the other end of the country, at seventeen. The burn scar on his face is from childhood; his father drinks and there is no money. The film follows the road to his world championship. Afonso Poyart based it on Aldo's life and staged the fights close to the real bouts. It follows the sports film template but does not decorate the reality of class in Brazil: why this sport draws so many poor children is directly visible. José Loreto plays Aldo and went through a serious physical transformation for it. The most famous defeat of Aldo's career came after the film. Who it is for: viewers who like combat sports and true life stories. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a story that leaves the template.