There are people who believe football is as important as life, but this is far from being true. This quote has reverberated through the world of soccer for years and little did he know it at that time but Shankly would capture the very spirit of what this game symbolizes to millions across the globe especially in the view of those who made Smari Gunn and Logi Sigursveinsson’s The Home Game.
A universal language, this sport has transcended beyond its domain often. Soccer can build communities, teach lessons, create memories and bring people closer together over a single passion. Previously referred to as “the beautiful game”, this hackneyed phrase of preference now adorns a more sinister side of football whereby corrupt governments’ nation states and unfeeling capitalism run the professional game. However, on a smaller scale soccer can still be considered beautiful game as seen in this new international documentary.
The Home Game is an entertaining Icelandic documentary made on a shoestring budget that could not be any further removed from the moneyed offshoots or moral bankruptcy of modern day professional soccer. It tells how Reynir FC, a village team in rural Iceland reformed to participate in their first ever domestic cup tournament held within their boundaries. Hellissandur which is a small fishing hamlet located deep into Western Iceland lies home to just 369 inhabitants including their local football club called Reynir FC.
This sleep town Kari Gylfason was born 30 years ago; he aims to accomplish what his father failed when he formed Reyner FC for the first time 25 years earlier. They were beaten by ten goals to zero in their only match, however Kari must mold some kind of decent team from among those willing and fit members of his local community – not an easy job given few players around and tough weather conditions typical for Iceland at large but passion wins through.
In so doing, this enchanting film restores belief in the game of football and demonstrates that it still contains humanity even within the most remote rural pockets. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” may be true or rather, it takes a village to make up for a soccer team especially one formed by Kari who has had to rely on volunteers to get this done from preparing for the field to ordering new jerseys.
Although many great sports documentaries have been about miracles, extraordinary events, and sheer nonsense. These narratives often revolve around unforeseen sporting victories or extreme lows suffered in competition as seen on Netflix’s unorthodox sports soap opera Sunderland ‘Til I Die and Prime’s All or Nothing.
However, in the case of The Home Game, it is a tale that carries with it an unmistakable feeling of mundane everydayness. It is a depiction of the kind of triumph not in-between the fangs of victory but in the determination and unflagging attitude of those at its very heart. The most genuine form of football can be seen in The Home Game. Although it shows preparations for Reynir’s home match, Kari and his father’s perservance and enthusiasm as they go about pursuing this never ending dream are its center.
The Home Game fundamentally serves as a love letter to soccer, and to the often overlooked significance of its grassroots level. However, one may wonder why a film should take 78 minutes while telling this story – something that for storytelling purposes seems needlessly stretched out. This is an uplifting narrative that showcases sport positively after many years on end of pessimism.
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