Hi there. Enjoying the World Cup? That beating Spain just took from the Netherlands was just unbelievable, wasn’t it? And the Chile vs. Australia game is going quite well for the reds so far. But, I am not here to talk about the World Cup….no, wait…I am, but not in the way you think. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, has not only been busy organizing the biggest sporting event in the world, they also managed to make a film about their origins. No, I’m not kidding.
United Passions is directed by Frédéric Auburtin and stars Tim Roth, Gérard Depardieu , Sam Neill, Fisher Stevens, Thomas Kretschmann and Karina Lombard. The film tells the story of how the World Cup actually became to be. Rumor has it the film cost $31 million, where $27 million came from FIFA’s own pocket! According to the UK newspaper, The Guardian, the film “flatteringly portrays Blatter (Roth), Rimet (Depardieu) and Havelange (Neill) as visionaries and icons of the global game. Blatter himself was reported to have tweaked the script.”
I’m going to be honest. The trailer, that only lasts 2 minutes, looks awful just from a first watch. The film premiered a few weeks ago in Cannes and it didn’t get a lot of love there either. But who knows, maybe in a few more years a real movie will be made about the guys who handle one of the most beloved sports in the world.
The film has no scheduled release date in the U.S or the UK so far. In the meantime, watch the trailer for United Passions below and let us know what you think!
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