“Yoga Rider” By Marco Espirito Santo
In the high-speed sport of Downhill Skateboarding, Alexandre Moreno finds an unlikely edge in Yoga.
Part of Betclic Portugal's "Defy the Odds" campaign, this short documentary tells the story of Downhill Skateboarder Alexandre Moreno as he recalls his journey into the sport and reveals how his Yoga practice has been decisive in his performance.
FROM THE DIRECTOR
“Every Thursday a group of friends come together late into the night to skate the empty streets of Lisbon in a ritual they affectionately call Niterides. Downhill skateboarders and in-line skaters, male and female, push each other hard down quiet residential streets, through tunnels and along overpasses, laying claim to the city.
When cops show up, they just move on to the next spot and start all over again. After all, they’re not delinquents; most have jobs and families and all that regular stuff, they just happen to like bombing down empty streets at night.
Between spots they review their runs, and laugh away their daily troubles over some beers. I was lucky enough to tag along with this tribe for a few nights thanks to the film's protagonist Alexandre Moreno, and develop the film from there, accompanying him in training and in competitions, and ultimately discovering how one unlikely key element has made all the difference to his performance and mindset: Yoga.
I would like to thank Alexandre once again for his generosity, kindness and trust with myself and the whole team in making this film.”
-Marco Espirito Santo
Credits
Client // Betclic Portugal
Agency // Funnyhow
Creative Director at Funnyhow // Cesar Sousa
Project Manager at Funnyhow // João Lopes Gonçalves
Creatives at Funnyhow // André Moreira, Leonardo Fernandez, and João Bronze
An el-Hey Films production
Executive Producer // Miguel Coimbra
Head of Production // Inês Santos
Script, Research, and Interviews // Maria João Venâncio
Directed by Marco Espirito Santo
Cinematography // Alfra Teixeira and Marco Espirito Santo
Camera equipment and support // a-Tundra Filmes
Camera Assistant // Alexandre Azevedo
a-Tundra Filmes producer // Alex Barone
Additional Shots by Luis “Porkito” Pereira and Alexandre Moreno
Drone Pilot and footage // Claudio Corrêa
Editor // Inês Soares
Sound Design // Victor Mingates at Ameba
Music // Mikkel Solnado at Great Dane Studios
Colorist // Marco Amaral at The Yellow Color
Post-Production // Miguel Bandeira at Musgo
Featuring the riders
Cristiano Medusa, Victor “Vic” Afonso, Luís “Porkito” Pereira, André, Gonçalo “Gon”, Pedro Roque, Joana Tomás, Pedro Gois, Sandra Lucas, Diogo Osório, Paulo Madureira, Lourenço Crispim, João Cruz, Manuel Cruz, Marco Guerreiro, Hugo Moreira, Bruno Sousa, José Zenha, Rodrigo Zenha, Jaime Ribeiro, Cristiano Medusa, Tozé, António “Peter” Tomás, Edgar “Mogli”, Pedro Silva, Jota, Jorge Pernes, Joãozinho Flipon, Diogo “Didó” Alexandre.
Special Thanks to
Pedro Gois, Cristiano Medusa, João Delgado and the Gravity team, Ana Carqueijeiro at Ameba, and Ana at The Yellow Color.
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