Maria Zeferina’s bond with São Silvestre shines in new documentary | OneFootball

By Murilo Gomes

The journey of Maria Zeferina Baldaia, champion of the São Silvestre in 2001, is the starting point of the documentary “Zeferina – Maria Brasileira”, directed by Lucas Bretas and produced by Grattitude Films. Shown in special sessions during the Expo São Silvestre, the film goes beyond sports and portrays a story marked by faith, resilience, and social transformation.

For Gazeta Esportiva, Maria Zeferina shared that seeing her life depicted on screen is yet another dream come true, especially in the context of the race's centenary. “It's another dream realized. The centenary of São Silvestre, the release of my film, and everything focused on the race. My whole life is about running,” she stated. The athlete highlighted that the documentary portrays her journey from childhood to the present day, always marked by perseverance. “With a lot of struggle, a lot of overcoming, with a lot of faith and believing in the dream, I won.”

Director Lucas Bretas explains that the idea for the film came after decades of following the athlete's career. “When she announced she was going to retire, it clicked. She had a very beautiful, profound, and representative life and athletic career that deserved to be told in a film,” he said.

According to him, sports is the narrative's guiding thread, but not the only central element.

“The film tells the story of a black woman, poor, a field worker since the age of 12, who started running barefoot because she didn't have sneakers. It's a story of facing extreme difficulties and not giving up on a dream,” Bretas emphasized. For the director, Zeferina's relationship with the São Silvestre is so intense that it merges with the athlete's own identity. “If it were a fictional character, it wouldn't have such a strong love story with São Silvestre as Maria did,” Lucas pointed out.

Meeting with Rosa Mota

One of the most symbolic moments of the documentary is the meeting between Maria Zeferina and Rosa Mota, six-time champion of São Silvestre, Olympic medalist, and a great inspiration for the Brazilian.

“Bringing Rosa into the film was fundamental. She is a world sports icon and was decisive for Maria to develop this love for running,” stated Bretas. Zeferina reinforces this impact. “If I am who I am, it was because I had Rosa as an inspiration since I was 12 years old. She taught me to never give up on my dreams.”

During the recordings, emotion was especially present in the scenes that reconstruct the athlete's childhood. “She watched everything and cried seeing those scenes being recreated. This gave us the certainty that we were being faithful to the real story,” the director recounted.

Maria Zeferina and Rosa Mota embracing. (Photo: Murilo Gomes/Gazeta Press)

Maria Brasileira

Lucas Bretas also explained the choice of the title “Zeferina – Maria Brasileira”, which carries a symbolic and collective meaning. For the director, the name “Maria” represents not only the protagonist but thousands of Brazilian women who face similar difficulties daily. “Maria is a name that synthesizes the common woman of Brazil, the working woman, invisible, who fights, falls, and rises. Zeferina's story is unique, but at the same time, it is the story of many Marias spread across the country,” he asserted.

For Maria Zeferina, the main message of the documentary is simple and universal. “I want to plant a seed of faith, dream, hope, and love. If I managed to win, even with so many difficulties, everyone can win too,” she concluded.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.