African football: films to watch during confinement
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
After the documentaries to be seen and the books to be read, rfi.fr offers a selection of films to fuel his passion for African football, during the confinement.
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Read moreTHE BALLOON GOLD (Cheik Doukouré)
A cinema classic for lovers of continental football. Released in 1993, it is inspired by the life of Salif Keita, the first African Ballon d'Or. It follows the adventures of a Guinean kid who dreams of becoming a great player. A film full of good humor, work of Cheik Doukouré , recognized and versatile filmmaker.
"LE BALLON D'OR" - Trailer
AFRICA UNITED (Debs Paterson)
A road movie across the continent. Fabrice, Dudu and Béatrice, three Rwandan children decide to go to South Africa to attend the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup. This comedy, with its meticulous production, does not hesitate to make fun of certain dramas which nevertheless undermine Africa: AIDS, prostitution, child soldiers…
"AFRICA UNITED" - Trailer
LIKE A LION (Samuel Collardey)
Another story of a kid. The hero of this film released in 2013, Mitri Diop, leaves his native Senegal for France where he hopes to become a footballer. Released on the spot by a crooked agent, the teenager landed in the east of the country where he met, Serge, coach of a modest local club. The latter, who missed a career as a pro player, first tries to discourage the young Senegalese, before helping him.
"LIKE A LION" - Trailer
INSIDE STORY (Rolie Nikiwe)
Kalu, a young Kenyan, is a player as talented as he is ambitious. When he receives a proposal to go play in South Africa, the young man does not hesitate long. His father has just died and he has to support his family. What he doesn't know yet is that he just got HIV. This film, released in 2011, of course talks about football. But it deals mostly with AIDS.
"INSIDE STORY" - Trailer
FUNKE! (Yemi Morafa)
It is impossible not to cite a Nigerian film, so much “Nollywood” produces it every year. This one, released in 2018, is the African equivalent of Play it like British Beckham : Funke, a young Nigerian, dreams of becoming a high-level player and putting on the tunic of "Super Falcons". His desire, however, came up against skepticism and the weight of traditions.
"FUNKE!" - Trailer
HALA MADRID VISCA BARÇA (Abdelilah El Jaouhary)
The pitch of this Moroccan film (in Arabic), released in 2019, is astonishing to say the least: Boulhwajeb, womanizer and fan of Real Madrid, imposes on the inhabitants of his village his love for "Merengue". This bearded man even leads a hunt for Barça supporters. This situation will change when a youngster from the neighborhood, supporter of FC Barcelona returns from Spain. The story may seem funny at first, but very much resembles a metaphor for the fight against tyranny and obscurantism.
"HALA MADRID VISCA BARÇA" Trailer
THE STRIPES OF THE ZEBRA (Benoît Mariage)
José Stockman, played by the incredible Benoît Poelvoorde, is a cynical talent finder. His specialty: recruiting young Africans to bring them to Belgium. One evening, he comes across Yaya Koné, a young prodigy as naive as in a hurry to succeed. This dramatic comedy, sometimes touching sometimes creaky, released in 2014, is inspired by (small) part of the story of a Belgian journalist and agent, Serge Trimpont, who discovered footballers like Arouna Koné or the late Cheick Tioté.
"THE STRIPES OF THE ZEBRA" - Trailer
THE BOTSWANGA CROCODILE (Lionel Steketee and Fabrice Éboué)
Football, here, is only an excuse to write a story with creaky humor and ... not so delusional as that. Leslie Konda, a young French striker who has just signed for FC Barcelona, is received as a superstar in Botswanga, the country of origin of his recently deceased mother. The local dictator, a megalomaniac soldier who was brilliantly camped out by Thomas Ngijol, however, has an ulterior motive. He wants to convince the kid to defend the colors of the national team, the "Crocodiles". To achieve his ends, he corrupts (without difficulty) the shabby agent of Leslie, played by Fabrice Éboué. An acidic cartoon.
"LE CROCODILE DU BOTSWANGA" - Trailer
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African football: documentaries to watch during confinement
African football: books to read during confinement