Football Fables
- Posted: 27th May 2010
- Category: Reviews
By Katie Rice
Over the past decade an increasing number of African footballers have been plucked from their rural home fields and given contracts with top European clubs; Ghanaian Sulley Muntari now plays for Inter Milan while Ivorian Didier Drogba is signed to Chelsea. This has resulted in a surge of young Africans hoping to follow their heroes to the European Champions League. Likewise, it has also seen the emergence of a group of ‘managers’ who guide the players in the hope of cashing in on the success of these future stars. Baff Akoto’s double award-winning Football Fables provides the audience with an engaging and honest inside view of the journey to the European Champions League.
Akoto’s narrative primarily follows 17-year-old Francis Boudi in his quest to become a professional footballer. Akoto presents a compelling depiction of talented Francis’ dream to succeed as he is controlled and manoeuvred by his manager Kwame. Francis’ naivety on camera is endearing as he speaks honestly about his family and his belief that if he gets a European contract ‘everything will be ok.’ In comparison it is apparent that Kwame, who refers to Francis as ‘the boy’, sees Francis as a means to his own financial gain, guiding his career in terms of personal profit.
Francis’ journey is interspersed with footage of interviews with the scouts and players who run the ‘Right to Dream’ Academy. A charity set up by Manchester United talent scout Tom Vernon, the academy educates and primes promising young players. It is a place where children live and breathe football, giving them the hope of a brighter future. Unlike managers like Kwame, the academy concentrates on securing the boys’ the right deal – not on negotiating their value.
Mixed with interviews with professional African players past and present we learn the path to the European League is an exciting one, but not necessarily an easy one. It is clear there are many people taking advantage of promising young players as well as many other difficult issues such as work permits. With training young footballers becoming somewhat of a commodity, the film also raises the question: what happens to those who do not make the cut?
Football fan or not, this documentary gives a fascinating glimpse into the workings of the football dream factory. It won both Best Foreign Film and Best Screenplay at the 2009 Palermo International Sport Film Festival.
Dir: Baff Akoto, UK 2009, 50 mins
Football Fables comes out in UK cinemas on 4 June.
For full listings visit: www.footballfables.co.uk
DFG members can win one of two pairs of tickets to the Stratford Picture House Football Fables screening and Q&A on Tuesday 8th June. Click here to find out how.