möOn November 23, the German national soccer team meets Japan in their first World Cup group game in Qatar. But for many, the World Cup mood – for various reasons – does not yet arise. However, some films and series are perfectly suited to make playing with the ball palatable again.
The cult anime “Captain Tsubasa – The Great Soccer Stars” from the 80s tells the story of twelve-year-old Tsubasa Ohzora, who dreams of winning the World Cup with Japan. He has had an incredible career, made numerous friends and celebrated successes.
The series also inspired children far outside of Japan to play soccer and still has fans among adult audiences today. The enthusiasm of young viewers shouldn’t be difficult even today. The only danger: the youngsters could possibly cheer for Japan in the first group game.
A documentary about an English second division team preparing for a World Cup? Yes absolutely! “Sunderland ‘Til I Die” manages like no other football documentary to transport emotions and make the fascination of being a fan tangible. When a whole town prays for your club in church, that’s the definition of true passion.
The first World Cup victory of the German national soccer team in 1954 is staged in “The Miracle of Bern” by Sönke Wortmann (63). The film also sheds light on the aftermath of the Second World War. A family from Essen welcomes their father after twelve years as a prisoner of war and he has to find his bearings again. With the success of the German team around World Cup hero Helmut Rahn (1929-2003), the relationship between the father and his children improves and the whole country falls into a frenzy of joy.
The daughter of Indian parents, Jess (Parminder Nagra, 47), who lives in England, loves to play soccer, which does not go down well with the traditional family. She becomes friends with the Englishwoman Jules (Keira Knightley, 37) and joins her club. She meets the trainer Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, 45) and falls in love with him.
The film “Kick It Like Beckham” is a bit shallow, but it does touch on some important issues. Above all, the film makes clear the resistance against which many girls still have to fight for their passion for football. The hurdles range from religion to tradition to social norms.
The documentary “Germany. A Summer’s Tale” by Sönke Wortmann on the home World Cup in 2006 could get most football fans excited about the national team again. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Oliver Neuville’s (49) last-minute goal against Poland, Oliver Kahn’s (53) note for goalkeeper Jens Lehmann (53) in a penalty shoot-out against Argentina or the emotional speeches by coach Jürgen Klinsmann (58) before every game – here’s for something for everyone.
