Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle (2006)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Directors:

Douglas Gordon
Philippe Parreno

Release Date:

24 May 2006 (France)

Genre:

Documentary | Sport

Plot:

Halfway between a sports documentary and an conceptual art installation, "Zidane" consists in a full-length soccer game (Real Madrid vs. Villareal, April 23, 2005) entirely filmed from the perspective of soccer superstar Zinedine Zidane. |

Plot Keywords:

Soccer | Real Madrid | Soccer Match | Soccer Ball | Soccer Crowd

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

David Beckham	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Zinédine Zidane	...	Himself

Directed by
Douglas Gordon
Philippe Parreno

Produced by
Sigurjon Sighvatsson	....	producer
Anna Vaney	....	producer
Victorien Vaney	....	producer

Original Music by
Mogwai

Cinematography by
Darius Khondji

Film Editing by
Hervé Schneid

Production Management
Cristina Ecija	....	production manager
Olivier Gravenhorst	....	post-production supervisor
Sophie Mas	....	assistant production manager
Antoine Rabaté	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
Selim Azzazi	....	supervising sound editor
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Damien Bera	....	foley engineer
Nicolas Bourgeois	....	assistant sound editor
Clément Cartallas	....	assistant sound editor
Clément Cartallas	....	sound recordist
Vincent Cosson	....	sound re-recording mixer
François Fayard	....	sound effects editor
Will Files	....	assistant sound designer
Jonathan Goc	....	assistant sound editor
Jaime Guijarro	....	assistant sound recordist
Scott Guitteau	....	sound editor
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Erwan Kerzanet	....	sound recordist
Guillaume Leriche	....	foley engineer
Hubert Persat	....	sound effects editor
Cyrille Richard	....	sound editor
Randy Thom	....	sound designer
Mathieu Weber	....	boom operator
Alexandre Widmer	....	sound editor

Visual Effects by
Farchad Bidgolirad	....	research & development lead
Alain Bignet	....	digital artist
Delphine Blaineau	....	visual effects coordinator
Axel Bonami	....	digital compositor
Lucie Bories	....	digital compositor
Ronan Broudin	....	senior compositor
Thibaut Damade	....	assistant visual effects editor
François Dumoulin	....	digital artist
Rip Hampton O'Neil	....	technical director: Duboicolor
Philippe Huberdeau	....	digital compositor supervisor
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	I/O manager
Abdel Ali Kassou	....	imaging manager
Yann Larochette	....	digital compositor
Emmanuel Le Courbe	....	digital compositor
Didier le Fouest	....	digital colorist
Christophe Legendre	....	color grader
Sergeï Lourié	....	digital compositor
Jacquemin Piel	....	visual effects producer
David Poulain	....	digital compositor
Ghislain Rio	....	digital compositor
Frederic Thonet	....	visual effects producer
Guillaume Carniato	....	digital restoration (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Chas Bain	....	camera operator
Eric Bialas	....	camera operator
Andre Chemetoff	....	additional assistant camera
Pedro Doblado de Andres	....	second assistant camera
David M. Dunlap	....	camera operator
Roberto Fernández	....	first assistant camera
Andrés Garzas	....	second assistant camera
Javier Gómez	....	first assistant camera
Stuart Howell	....	camera operator
Sébastien Leclercq	....	first assistant camera
Joaquín Manchado	....	camera operator
Frédéric Martial-Wetter	....	focus puller
Michael McDonough	....	camera operator
Adolfo Morales 'Fofi'	....	first assistant camera
Giulio Pietromarchi	....	camera operator
Jorge Simonet	....	camera operator
Philip Sindall	....	camera operator
Gary Spratling	....	camera operator
Olly Tellett	....	assistant camera
Des Whelan	....	camera operator
Tim Wooster	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Anne-Sophie Bion	....	additional assistant editor
Enrica Gattolini	....	first assistant editor

Other crew
Mercedes Barbod	....	location manager
Carmen Ruiz de Huidobro	....	production coordinator
Aditya Ezhuthachan	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles
Asia Jarzyna	....	production assistant: Madrid
Denis Pedregosa	....	production executive

Thanks
Glenn Kiser	....	special thanks
Randy Thom	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Anna Lena Films
• Kanzaman (production services)
• Naflastrengir
• Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo (associate production)
• arte France Cinéma (co-production)
• Love Streams Productions (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• CinéCinéma (participation)
• Centre National des Arts Plastiques (with the support of)
• Programme MEDIA de la Communauté Européenne (with the support of)
• KanZaman Services (production services)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Artificial Eye (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Duboi
• Duran

Other Companies

• Ardmore Sound  sound re-recording
• Skywalker Sound  special thanks

Also Known As:

Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (International: English title)

Runtime:

France:90 min

Country:

France | Iceland

Language:

French | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company:

Anna Lena Films

not great, but intriguing

Let me start of by saying this isn't a film for people who don't appreciate football. If you don't like football, then this film isn't for you. Yes, it is also an art film with exceptional cinematography, but to fully understand the nature of the film, and the nature and grace of Zinedine Zidane you must at least have some interest in football.

To many, including myself, Zinedine Zidane is the nearest specimen to a perfect footballer ever seen. He has everything needed to play the beautiful game; grace, intelligence, imagination and technique. So a film about the greatest footballer of modern times couldn't go by my unnoticed. The film is far from conventional, and at times completely hypnotic, as Zidane says himself, his memories of matches are fragmented and this could easily apply to this film. It is like a mirage of images, like watching a dream. Although clips of the match on TV keep it within reality, the numerous shots of "Zizou" on the pitch are completely surreal.

To understand this film beyond its cinematography, you must, as I said appreciate football. The subtle touches of the ball; the interaction with his fellow teammates, Raul, Roberto Carlos; the very way he moves around the field could not be significant unless you understand the very nature of Zidane. The film captures the intimate moments of despair and victory and of Zidanes very thoughts. The world and mind of Zidane is brought to the viewer in an empathetic way not seen in most films. For the ninety minutes or so, we shadow Zidane, we are even Zidane.

But despite all this, the film is significantly flawed. I am probably not the first to say at times you feel completely bored, and are tired of Zidane just walking around. You feel this might have been a good idea if they hadn't of chose to show ALL 90 minutes. But they do, and at times it is completely tedious. You eventually ask yourself if you are watching the same clips on a loop, the shots are so repetitive. Granted the "second half" is a lot better, as it is eventful and Zidane comes to life for better and for worse. Though you can't help feel you just wasted 90 minutes of your life.

As a fanatic follower of football, this film just about keeps me interested, so God help anyone who wants to watch this AND is not interested in football.