Kicking It

2008 - 3/5

I love the idea of a tournament for homeless people and although this documentary was following the 4th annual Homeless World Cup it was the first I've ever heard of it! [unfortunately] - needless to say, I love soccer, so this documentary was a must watch for me.

The Homeless World Cup is an event made up of 500 players from 48 countries that gives drug addicts, alcoholics and people in war torn countries the opportunity to better themselves and their lives with a sport that brings the world together: football.

This film follows 7 participants: Damien & Simon from Ireland, Alex from Kenya, Najib from Afghanistan, Jesus from Spain, Craig from USA, and Slavan from Russia. It highlights each individual's hardships with having to deal with homelessness or poor living conditions in their own nations and in the meanwhile, trying to finish on top in the competition.

The documentary was well made and very well put together, but I wasn't able to feel connected to the 7 people; between the 7, I felt more drawn into the lives of Jesus, Slavan, Damien & Simon and I also thought that the documentary as a whole, would have made a greater impact on the viewer had it only focused on 4 people.

It's obvious that you're not about to watch an extremely skilled professional athlete compete; however the short 14-minute matches were just as intense and thrilling as a FIFA match. Regardless of who may be on the field, this documentary allows the viewer to put aside any prejudices and open their eyes about people living in poverty.

Taking into consideration that this documentary is linked with the worlds most popular sport, it would have been nice to have the option to watch some of the games in full (perhaps in the bonus features section); if more matches were added, the film as a whole could have been more heart wrenching and I would have felt a bond with one [or more] of the countries represented.

Documentaries have gained more and more attention throughout the years and it has become a good medium to illustrate certain issues around the world. The Homeless World Cup is an interesting way to create awareness of homelessness around the world by connecting it to such a beloved game. More importantly, it gave the participants a positive outlook on life and possibilities for and change in the future.

Lastly, I do have to mention that Colin Farrel only narrated the very beginning and the very end. His narration was somewhat pointless, but I guess his name being attached to this film draws in more people than it would have on its own.