World Cup selecao: Feature films centred on football gala that score big with real issues

The greatest show on earth, the FIFA World Cup , starts this weekend in Qatar and football lovers the world over will be drowned in the spirit of the beautiful game over the next few weeks. Setting aside debates around the choice of host nation, true-blue fans will look forward to experiencing the definite high that comes once in four years with the tournament, as 32 nations battle it out to be crowned kings of the world in the most popular sport there is. Cinema with its tendency to bring alive reality through fiction has often fallen back on football for thematic inspiration. While feature films, biopics and documentaries centred on the sport are plenty, the odd filmmaker has also managed to find a cultural or political context specifically in the World Cup as a social phenomenon, using the sporting carnival to prepare scripts that capture the game’s popular fervour as well as introspect on life in the process. Given that football as a sport is not overwhelmingly popular in the United States, very few such films have come from Hollywood. A host of feature films on the World Cup, quite different in purpose from sundry documentary films about the tournament, draw up fictional plots from the quadrennial tournamentto highlight subjects as diverse as gender discrimination and empowerment, war, political metamorphosis of a nation or, quite simply, the innocent passion of a child for the game. Interestingly, most filmmakers tackling such themes prefer comedy as their genre of storytelling. We look at some of the finest films from across the globe that capture the spirit of humanity with stories created around the World Cup. These are stories specific to the people and societies they represent, yet universal in appeal to connect with lovers of football as well as cinema anywhere. The films are arranged in chronological order. The Miracle Of Bern (2003) [caption id=“attachment_11657071” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] THE MIRACLE OF BERN (2003)[/caption] The German film is an emotional family drama directed by Sonke Wortmann and is set against the backdrop of the 1954 World Cup, which West Germany won beating favourites Hungary in the final played at Bern. Titled Das Wunder von Bern in its original version, the film tells the story of a former German soldier who returns home after over a decade, following World War II. He struggles to return to normal family life and discovers his young son would rather idolise the football star Helmut Rahn than give importance to him. The narrative traces how common lives in Germany were affected in different ways by the war, and how the footballing triumph helped offset a lot of the trauma. Wortman maintains the tempo of a family drama and blends it seamlessly with the thrill of a classic sports movie. The film won the Audience Award at the 2003Locarno International Film Festival. The Game Of Their Lives (2005) [caption id=“attachment_11657091” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES (2005)[/caption] The Gerard Butler -starrer is a rare Hollywood film on the subject of football — or soccer, as the United States insists on calling the game. Not surprisingly, the film celebrates the odd United States triumph against England. At the 1950 World Cup hosted in Brazil, the US beat England 1-0, and the film broadly tries creating drama around how the underdogs did it. Mostly panned by critics, the film failed at the box office despite Gerard Butler playing American footballer Frank Borghi. The David Anspaugh directorial, based on Geoffrey Douglas’ book of the same name, was a rare forgettable effort among films based on the FIFA World Cup. Offside (2006) [caption id=“attachment_11657101” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Offside[/caption] Jafar Panahi’s 2006 comedy drama, titled Afsaid in original Persian language, brilliantly uses the passion for football in Iran to narrate a story of gender discrimination. Set against the backdrop of Iran’s historic pre-World Cup qualifier win against Bahrain at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium, the story is about six young girls who are crazy fans of the game but barred from entering the stadium owing to their gender. Back then Iranian law prevented females from football stadiums, so the six girls try to enter the stadium disguised as men. They get caught and are placed in a makeshift pen outside the stadium under the supervision of a bunch of greenhorn policemen, but continue cheering for their team. The absurdity of the situation triggers humour that is innocent and sarcastic at the same time and the film, shot in faux documentary style and unfolding in real time, leaves a strong socio-cultural message beneath its feel-good vibes. Offside was banned in Iran, but went on to win the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and was an official selection at the Toronto and New York film festivals. THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION (2006) [caption id=“attachment_11657121” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION (2006)[/caption] The year is 1970, and a political activist couple on the run from Brazil’s ruthless military regime send their little son Mauro to live with his grandfather and escape, saying they’re off to a vacation. Meanwhile, Mauro discovers his grandfather is dead and ends up staying with the old man’s neighbours in a primarily Jewish and Italian neighbourhood, waiting for his parents to return. The 1970 World Cup is on. Mauro like every Brazilian is excited because Brazil’s win would mark a hattrick of victories at football’s highest platform for the nation and, importantly, for the team’s greatest icon Pele. Cao Hamburger’s Portuguese language film, titled O Ano em Que Meus Pais Sairam de Ferias in its original version, unfolds in layers. It is a simple comic drama about a youngster who dreams of seeing his heroes win. At the same time, the film is interesting in the way it shows Brazil as a nation where the power of football often unites a society divided by politics, race and class. The film was Brazil’s official entry at the Oscars 2007 and nominated for a Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Slum (2008) The World Cup becomes an unusual symbol of brotherhood for three slumdweller boys in Argentinian filmmaker Ezio Massa’s Spanish language crime drama, originally titled Villa. The three young friends in Buenos Aires, on being chased away when they try to catch the opening ceremony of the World Cup from outside the window of a pizza place, make a pact: Come what may, they will watch the upcoming Argentina-Nigeria match on TV. As the trio strives to ensure their pact succeeds, different fates await them. Massa taps into the hysteria around football to unfold his narrative at different levels. The gritty film keeps you guessing about what fate awaits the boys and at the same time gives a socio-cultural context to their lives. SEE YOU IN MONTEVIDEO (2014) [caption id=“attachment_11657131” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] SEE YOU IN MONTEVIDEO (2014)[/caption] Dragan Bjelogrlic’s Serbian film is originally titled Montevideo, Vidimo Se!, and is set against the backdrop of the first FIFA World Cup of 1930 hosted by Uruguay. The film is a delight for lovers of footballing history, tracing the true story of the underdog Yugoslav national teams’ preparations and arduous journey by sea to arrive in Montevideo for the tournament. Upon landing, they have to contend with the challenge of qualifying to the next round from a group where they are pitted against mighty Brazil, besides Bolivia. However, upsetting all predictions, the Yugoslavs managed to finish third in the tournament. The feel-good film works on the basic sports movie formula of celebrating the underdog, and gives an adequate glimpse of the World Cup in its formative stage. It was Serbia’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars 2015. JULES AND DOLORES (2016) [caption id=“attachment_11657141” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] JULES AND DOLORES (2016)[/caption] Caito Ortiz serves a slice of history with comic edge in this outrageously-themed Brazilian film, titled O Roubo da Taca in its original Portuguese language version. The film sets up an imaginary plot based on the real-life theft of the old World Cup, which was known as the Jules Rimet trophy. While the culprits of that historical robbery were never nabbed in real life, Ortiz imagines a heist comedy where the film’s hero, a gambler, decides to steal a replica of the Jules Rimet trophy to pay off his debts and also make enough money to plan a future with his gorgeous girlfriend Dolores (played by the Brazilian star Tais Araujo). Things get complicated because the hero accidentally ends up stealing the real Jules Rimet trophy. The focus is on creating humour that caters to a mainstream audience, and there are plenty of light moments all through the drama and the suspense. MARADONA’S LEGS (2019) [caption id=“attachment_11657151” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] MARADONA’S LEGS (2019)[/caption] Footballing rivalries extend beyond national colours, and Firas Khoury’s Arabic gem captures such a passion for the game within a runtime of just around 20 minutes. Maradona’s Legs is one of the most accomplished short films you’ll see themed on sports. The setting is the 1990 World Cup.Two young Palestinian brothers who are staunch Brazilian supporters, and hate the idea of Argentina winning, are desperately searching for “Maradona’s legs” — a sticker card they need to complete a World Cup scrapbook of players. Completing and submission of the scrapbook ahead of anyone else would win them an Atari gaming console. In a neighbourhood where every other kid is after the prize, acquiring the missing sticker piece is easier said than done. The two little kids, however, will go to any extent to win an Atari. Khoury’s narrative mixes witticism (“Maradona’s legs are worth the whole Brazil team”) and politics (separatist groups interrupting live radio commentary to deliver a message) with the feel-good vibe of the film, which is crisply edited and cinematographed to evoke nineties nostalgia. Vinayak Chakravorty is a critic, columnist and film journalist based in Delhi-NCR. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News ,  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .