‘Rio’: love letter to a Brazilian city
“The city has a personality of its own, the mountains and the ocean so dramatically on top of each other,” Saldanha said. “You have this concrete jungle meeting the real jungle.”
Photo: A view of Pico Pan de Azucar, or Sugarloaf, the huge torpedo rock that emerges from Guanabara Bay off the Rio coast. (Douglas Engle / LATINPHOTO.org,)
“Architecturally and visually [the statue is] such a unique place,” Saldanha said. (Dado Galdieri / Associated Press)
The yellow trolley cars are a recognizable touchstone from South America’s oldest tramway.
Photo: Revelers walk along a yellow tramcar in the historic Santa Teresa neighborhood during the Heaven on Earth street parade. The parade helps usher in Brazil’s famous Carnival. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)
The music in “Rio” — including a new recording of Sergio Mendes’ classic bossa nova hit “Mas Que Nada” and “Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)” by Will.i.am — was as important to Saldanha as the sites in creating an authentic sense of place. “Music is our most recognizable cultural export,” Saldanha said. “Samba, funk, rap — I wanted it to be a score that would take me to Rio.” (Vanderlei Almeida / AFP / Getty Images)