Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait by Tim Yu in Culture on 5 November 2008
Those looking for a highlight reel of soccer trickery or an artful abstraction of a star athlete were most likely dissapointed by the recent documentary “Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait.” But the balance of action highlighting Zidane’s skill, coupled with a more avant-garde approach to storytelling made for a hypnotically intimate look at one of the world’s most talented athletes of our time. The work of filmmakers Philippe Parreno and Douglas Gordon, “Zidane” premiered to much international acclaim a while back. I only got the chance to see it during its recent run at BAMcinématek in Brooklyn, NY. I’d been waiting to see the film for a long time and I’m glad to say it didn’t disappoint.
Shot in HD and 35mm film, 17 cameras in total focused solely on the Algerian-born Parisian for the full 90-minute match between Real Madrid and Villareal on 23 April 2005. A soundtrack by Mogwai adds a subtle but important effect with their moody droning rock. More visual observation than documentary, it is as much a portrait of time as it is about Zidane. The film opens by asking “23 April 2005, an ordinary day, will events be remembered or forgotten?”