What an historic headshot tells us about the functioning of mankind.
Few World Cup finals have ever been as dramatic as that between Italy and France in 2006. Both teams were perfectly matched until extra time, in a tie, when star player Zinedine Zidane sent a headshot into his opponent Marco Materazzi’s chest. Zidane’s career ended with a red card and France lost the resulting penalty kicks.
The Russian filmmakers Yukhananov & Shein see more in this event than just a notorious incident in sports. With the help of found footage, they reconstructed the lives of both Zidane and Materazzi. Analysis of statements from interviews and football careers are coupled with events from the news of the day. They transform what first sight seems like a sports documentary into a mysterious spectacle and an original meta-story with an ironic, edifying message for all mankind.
Boris Yukhananov & Aleksandr Shein, Russia, 2017, 148’
w/ Offscreen
