And that is no understatement in Argentina, home of fútbol superstars Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, where soccer is not just a pastime of choice but a national obsession—a shared passion that borders on fervent religiosity.
It’s the driving force behind the lineup in this year’s festival, which showcases films that capture the essence of this popular sport, says Roberto Bosch, Argentine ambassador to Manila.
“Each year we have different movies that show different parts of Argentinian society, what we are and what we do. Football is a huge part of that,” explains Bosch.
In between winning kicks and shrieks of victory, the sea of colors and streamers, and unadulterated emotions, soccer makes for good cinema. But “Papers in the Wind,” the festival’s opening film, also reveals how the sport shapes its fans.
Based on Eduardo Sacheri’s novel of the same title, “Papers in the Wind” follows three grieving friends: Fernando (Diego Peretti), Mauricio (Pablo Echarri) and El Ruso (Pablo Rago), whose best friend El Mono (Diego Torres) dies of cancer and leaves behind a young daughter without a single peso to her name.
To secure her future, the three friends set out to recoup El Mono’s investment on the transfer rights of young Mario Pittilanga, whose forward career languishes in the
minor leagues.
For a soccer film, Taratuto humbles the deified sport—it does not hesitate to show the industry’s seedy underbelly.
To rid themselves of the contract, the trio resorts to schemes—bribing a radio journalist to hype
Pittilanga’s talents, doctoring a video of him scoring goals, stealing a car and selling it for bribe money.
But such is their devotion that, even on his deathbed, El Mono can’t think of no greater legacy to his daughter than his unyielding loyalty to his local team.
“I want to leave Independiente to Guadalupe,” he says to Fernando. “That is a real present, as if I’m saying to her, ‘I leave you this great love for this team. Keep it forever.’”
Perhaps El Mono is right. Soccer, after all, is not just a game—he leaves behind a rich, colorful way of life, and there is none greater in Argentina.
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