Why was Rio's Olympic cauldron so small?
All along, Rio 2016 billed its opening ceremony as a low-budget event that would compensate for its lack of expensive technology with wondrous colors, eye-catching dancing and a distinctive party atmosphere.
And it certainly delivered. Without the glamour of previous festivities in London and Beijing, Friday's event had a distinct charm, epitomized by the understated cauldron that was lit by Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima.
Related - Watch: Vanderlei de Lima lights Olympic cauldron
Contrary to the massive cauldrons in Sochi and other recent games, a modest pot inside the Maracana signaled the opening of the sporting spectacle. With one of the themes of the ceremony being the fight against climate change, Olympic organizers said they wanted a low-emission cauldron that would represent "the call to reduce warming caused by fossil fuel and greenhouse gases."
"We had a budget way below what you would expect for an event of this type, but we are pretty used to working this way," Daniela Thomas, a filmmaker involved in crafting the ceremony, told reporters prior to the event.
Related: 10 memorable images from the Rio 2016 opening ceremony
Brazil, plagued by a host of social and economic issues, is in the midst of its worst recession in decades. A grandiose, lavish party isn't exactly what the country needs at the moment.
"I think it is very right for this moment in Brazil and the world not to have a big show and opulent ceremony," said the ceremony's executive producer, Marco Balich.