Alec Cutter is the creator and director of Netflix’s The Root of the Game, a documentary series that explores the untold phenomenon of Várzea, the purest expression of Brazilian grassroots football. We sat down with Alec to learn about his filmmaking process, the chaotic world of football in the favelas, and his relationship with the world’s most fanatical football nation.

We sat down with the directors of The Figo Affair to discuss their approach to filmmaking, the challenges of piecing such a thrilling plotline together, and what it’s really like to sit face-to-face in a dark room with Florentino Pérez.