Rio 2007 Closing Ceremony

Here are a few reviews of the Rio 2007 Closing Ceremony which brought the XV Pan American Games to a close yesterday in Rio de Janeiro. The picture above of performers forming the Rio 2007 logo appeared in a slide show at GloboEsportes.com:

A flamboyant closing ceremony capped two weeks of sport.

The Pan American Games had excellent venues and glossy ceremonies.

–BBC News

Fireworks lit the sky and samba shook the ground Sunday night as Rio de Janeiro ended the 15th Pan American Games, whose success could boost Brazil’s status as a host of global sporting events. Samba dancers concluded the spectacle of the games that Rio de Janeiro hoped would show the world Brazil has the credentials to host the 2014 World Cup — and maybe even an Olympics.

Despite chilly weather, it was a gala ending to the hemisphere-wide event, which drew some 5,500 athletes from 42 countries, as well as 2,000 delegation members, 3,000 journalists and 15,000 volunteers.

–International Herald Tribune

The 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro ended under the full moon Sunday, while fireworks shook giant Maracana Stadium as if an earthquake rumbled below.

–Around the Rings

The ceremonies and sports production of the XV Pan American Games were produced by FiveCurrents. An official press release on Rio 2007’s web site details many aspects of the Closing Ceremony

“Mariachis and funk” at the Rio 2007 Closing

Despite the rain, the Closing Ceremony of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games at Maracanã Stadium featured “mariachis and funk” and a fireworks show featuring more than 6,000 shells. FiveCurrents produced both the Opening and Closing Ceremony of the XV Pan American Games. To check out more images from the ending of what are being called “The Best Games in History,” check out Globo’s blog.

Spectacular Rio 2007 impacts Rio’s 2016 hopes

Alan Mota writes about the impact of the Rio 2007 Ceremony on perceptions that Rio de Janeiro is fit to host the 2016 Olympics:

As the first spectator entered the Maracana stadium to watch the opening ceremony, it seemed like all the problems magically vanished and Rio was suddenly a city worthy of not only the PanAm Games, but something much bigger.

Rio 2007 Ceremonies Gallery at Around the Rings

Around the Rings put together a nice gallery of images of of the Rio 2007 Opening Ceremony, including this behind-the-scenes slide show by our production photographer Reinaldo Smoleanschi.

Rio 2007 Opening Ceremony Highlight Videos

done

While nothing can replicate the energy of experiencing the Rio 2007 Opening Ceremony with 90,000 Brazilians and 5,000 athletes inside Maracanã Stadium, we hope this four minute highlight reel edited to Viva Essa Energia captures the essence of a show that has been praised in publications from the Los Angeles Times to O Globo as “spectacular,” “second to none,” “magnificent,” “colorful,” “energetic,” “stellar,” “grand,” “brilliant,” “gold,” “emotional,” “glittering,” “rousing,” “inspired,” “lush” and “lavish.”

We loved the quote in the LA Times from USA Water Polo player and two-time Olympian Heather Petri:

“It was incredible! I actually think that was the best opening ceremony I’ve ever seen.”

The Opening Ceremony of the Rio 2007 Pan American Games was a FiveCurrents production led by Executive Producer Scott Givens. In order to help build an Olympic legacy, our full-time production team of 250 people was 97 percent Brazilian. A lot of work goes into creating an Olympic-style Opening Ceremony, and CO-RIO hired Kamikaze Films to produce a “Making Of Documentary” featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the production. The following is a five minute version of the film:

done