The theme of the Rio 2016 opening ceremony is 'do more with less'. And with just a fraction of the budget enjoyed by Beijing and London before it, Rio's extravaganza has taken a more austere, but still dazzling tone.
Starting with a promotional video showing aerial shots of various sports being played across Rio, dancers decked in silver costumes and sheets took center stage at Maracana Stadium for a drawn-out countdown.
With the Brazilian flag raised and the Olympic officials acknowledged, the ceremony kicked off with crews guiding giant structures across a sandy plain, representing the creation of Brazil.
Next came a chorus of Indigenous dancers weaving a giant tapestry out of chords hanging from above, before being interrupted by European fleets arriving on boats.
Brazil's multicultural history was also depicted with performers portraying Africans brought to Brazil by force, followed closely by Eastern and Arabic traders.
The arena then witnessed the rise of multiple buildings from the floor, representing Brazil's supercities. Dancers leaped across the rooftops and climbed up and down the sides of makeshift structures in formation.
Brazil's industriousness was also celebrated with a tribute to Alberto Santos Dumont, the man Brazilians credit with inventing the airplane. But just moments later the stadium broke out into song as the bossa nova hit "Girl from Ipanema" was performed while supermodel Gisele Bündchen strutted across the arena.
Maracana Stadium then became awash with colour, as performances unfolded on structures representing Brazil's famous favellas. But the ceremony soon took a more serious tone, with graphs, charts and videos describing the effects of climate change - particularly on Brazil's famous Amazon rainforest.
The message here was for Rio to be known as a 'Green Games', as the stadium began welcoming the 205 countries going for gold.
People on the periphery
The creative minds behind the opening ceremony were determined to put on a show that would not offend a country in dire economic straits but would showcase the famously upbeat nature of Brazilians.
"This is a conquest. The people on the periphery are having an influence, it's a recognition of their art," said Eduardo Alves, director of social watchdog Observatorio de Favelas.
Each athlete was asked to plant seeds that will eventually grow into trees and be planted in the Athletes Forest in Rio in a few years.
The near $16 billion price tag to organise the Games has aggrieved many in the nation of 200 million and in Rio, where few can see the benefits of the spectacle or even afford to attend the Games.
Police used stun grenades against a few hundred anti-Olympic protesters near the stadium, armoured tanks lined the streets, and the 50,000 attendees faced two-hour-long lines as Brazil staged its most intense security operation ever.
Lead-up to lighting the flame
Russia received muted cheers and a low murmur of boos as it entered Maracana Stadium during the Parade of Nations.
Revelations of state-sponsored doping by Russia in a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency caused many to demand the country be banned from the competition altogether.
But there was a warmer reception for Iranian archer Zahra Nemati, who broke new ground by becoming the first woman to carry her country's flag into the ceremony.
Arriving in a wheelchair, Nemati was one of very few women among the procession. In Iran, female fans are traditionally barred from attending male-only sporting events, because of the country's strict interpretation of Islamic norms.
Earlier, Brazil's favourite son Pele announced he was too ill to light the Olympic flame that concludes the ceremony. So the honour was given to 2004 marathon bronze medallist Vanderlei de Lima, after former tennis world No.1 Gustavo Kuerten brought the torch into the stadium.
