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Luva de Pedreiro (2024)

Review – ‘Luva de Pedreiro: Viral Moves’ (2024)

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MJ-A
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Humble beginnings and great success can lead to a lucrative career, flashpoint burnout, or both. This is a fascinating 3-episode docuseries about Brazilian football influencer Luva de Pedreiro (real name Iran Ferreira), who rocketed to fame, flamed out at high altitude, and then came back.

About the Story

The first episode is the most interesting and shows how Iran Ferreira started and why he became popular. Raised in poverty in a one room shack in Tabua, an isolated village in Northeastern Brazil, Iran began working at age 7, harvesting sacks of carobs at 10 reais ($2 USA) a kilo. He was not much of a student and could barely read, but he developed a pretty wicked free kick.

At age 19, he trades chickens for a bike, then trades the bike for a cell phone. He has to walk an hour to get to an internet connection, but he learns to make catchy soccer videos of himself. His half-sister Gabriela helps him upload these and handles his online engagement with fans.

Iran has a knack for recognizing what will attract attention. He decides to wear construction gloves while playing, and this becomes his moniker: Luva de Pedreiro (workers gloves). His catch phrase of “Receba” (Receive it) becomes a meme, and his copying of Ronaldo’s being the World’s Greatest (O Rei de Jogada) becomes his brand as well.

On Jan-21-2022, he posts a video of himself kicking a ball over a house, which gets 30M likes. Within 2 months, he is viral, players and clubs repost his joyous content, and social media managers come calling to represent him.

Manager Allan Jesus takes Iran and his parents (Dona Biza and Seu Vadinho) to Rio de Janeiro to increase Luva’s exposure. Iran finds out that he is already so famous that people mob him on the street. His content becomes about the experiences his new life and career are bringing him: pizza, air travel, the beach, french fries, a Vasco de Gama game. His growing number of followers means that Allan can get him social media advertising gigs.

But this is where Iran’s story goes dark, because Allan has pressured Iran and his family to sign a contract with him that they can’t read. He controls everything Iran does, leaves bodyguard Douglas to stay with the parents while Allan and Iran travel to gigs, but gives the family no spending money. Iran eventually realizes he is doing a lot of promotional work but doesn’t even have a bank account.

Iran and his family finally receive a copy of the contract. Allan has specified he is owed a unilateral termination fee of 5M real. Feeling betrayed, Iran seeks out the famous futsal player Falcão for help, and Falcao sends his management team to rescue Iran and his family and set them up in Recife with a lifestyle appropriate to the influencer income that Iran is earning.

However, in the second episode, we see that Iran’s new management team overworks him as well. When he returns from a project abroad, he is served a subpoena because Allan is demanding his termination fee. Iran cracks and deletes all his Instagram content, and posts that he is quitting social media.

Returning home, he realizes all the good that comes out of his career and brand. He has the ability to provide for his family, give jobs to his friends, and bring joy to his fans. After about 5 days, he returns to influencing, and the meltdown actually seems to make his brand stronger.

The third episode is a bit slow. We see his 2023 highlights, such as going to the Champions League party. We meet his girlfriend and watch their prenatal appointments. Allan’s lawsuit is still pending, and his lawyer is hopeful that they will win the case.

The Soccer

Most of the football in this series is Iran’s videos of his free kicks and his self-developed soccer skills training. The series ends with a game of futbole baba with his entourage in his home village of Tabua.

According to Iran, “Receba” means receive this great goal. Female influencer Gkay says Receba has grown to mean: receive this great goal, receive my success, receive what I am, I’m here to stay. It becomes a declaration of self-identity and self-confidence.

The Lawsuit

Some might think that this docuseries is a bit one-sided, and the film repeatedly states that former manager Allan declined to participate. It was difficult to find out who created the series for HBOMax, but the production company is Beyond Films, a Brazilian startup funded by the original Ronaldo under the umbrella of Oddznetwork. Beyond Films produces “sportainment” meant to entertain as well as promote a brand.

Just recently, Allan’s lawsuit for the contract termination fee came to a close and Iran lost. From what I could find on the internet, one of the facts against Iran was that, contrary to what family members said in the series, Iran had legal representation before the contract was signed. I also tried to research Allan Jesus and his company ASJ Consultoria, but it appears that multiple URLs for the company no longer work. I assume Iran’s many followers made it impossible for Allan Jesus to maintain a website. It is probably also why he received a lot of money for damage to his career.

Winning the case, however, does not make me believe that Allan Jesus was ethical in his management of Luva de Pedreiro. I hope Iran recovers from this setback and maintains his positivity.

In Conclusion

The first episode of the Luva de Pedreiro docuseries is quite fascinating as it pieces together a rags to riches story and gives you an idea of the kinds of strength that are necessary to become and remain a successful influencer. Yes, you have to be unique and original, but to stay in the spotlight is hard work and requires a lot of support from family, friends, and staff. It’s not that different from becoming a pro footballer.

I realized that entourage is not a bad word; I don’t think an individual brand can continue without an entourage. The individual influencer also has to be extremely mentally strong to withstand all the negativity and hate that anonymous posters shoot at them.

Supposedly half of today’s young people want to become influencers. There is a lot to learn from this series. Can an influencer’s career be saved? At least watch the first episode!

8 Soccer Movie Mom Rating = 8 

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