“The Eastern Cape is full of smiling people and beautiful cows!” This is the word from the team behind Soccer Cinema, a mobile cinema that is travelling around the country to screen some of the world’s best soccer documentaries.
“The Eastern Cape is full of smiling people and beautiful cows!” This is the word from the team behind Soccer Cinema, a mobile cinema that is travelling around the country to screen some of the world’s best soccer documentaries.
The team will travel to 50 small towns, villages and townships, spread across all nine provinces, sreening the doccies free of charge for anyone who wants to watch.
For many South Africans, attending a World Cup match will be out of reach but there are many other ways, such as Soccer Cinema, of soaking up some of the soccer hype.
The projectis the brainchild of Don Edkins from a film production company called Steps Southern Africa which is running on funding from the National Lottery after being nominated as a World Cup preevent project.
The aim of Soccer Cinema is to better inform audiences about soccer, and to stir up support and excitement in the build-up to the World Cup.
It will allow people to see, hear and learn more about some of the greatest players and teams in the world – including Brazil’s Pelé and Garrincha, the great Johan Cruijff, Diego Maradona, Ivorian player Didier Drogba, Ghana’s Essien, Cameroon’s Eto and South Africa’s Sibusiso Zuma.
The Makana Football Association was established by prisoners on Robben Island in 1966, and games were played until the prison closed in 1991.
Now, thanks to Soccer Cinema, residents of Makana can gather on Friday to watch a film – More Than Just a Game that looks at the history of soccer on Robben Island.
More Than Just a Game was produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring, directed by Junaid Ahmed and stars Presley Chweneyagae from the Oscar award-winning Tsotsi.
It tells the story of how political activists who were unjustly imprisoned on Robben Island in the 60s played soccer.
“They all banded together and tried to survive, enduring some of the harshest conditions known to man, using football as a means to build moral and mutual respect,” producer Anant Singh was quoted as saying.
In addition to Grahamstown, other Eastern Cape towns being visited by Soccer Cinema include Cradock, Hamburg, Humansdorp, Jeffrey’s Bay, King William’s Town, Mdantsane, Mdumbi, Mthatha, Peddie and Qunu.
Catch More Than Just a Game this Friday at 6pm at the Indoor Sports Centre in Joza. There will also be a screening at Rhodes University.
Date, venue and film to be confirmed and will be announced in Grocott’s Mail. Other Soccer Cinema screenings coming up in the Eastern Cape: Cradock 13 April at 6pm at the Lingelihle Community Hall, at the top of Sikulu Street Alice 14 April at 1.20pm (Drogba Fever) and in the evening (film TBC), University of Fort Hare Sports Complex Peddie 15 April at 6pm (Drogba Fever) Gwalana Location Community Hall Mdantsane, East London 17 April at 5pm (Offside) & 19:00 (More Than Just a Game) at the Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre.
Hamburg 20 April at 5pm (Zuma the Puma and Homeless World Cup) at the Old Hall. Get more details about Soccer Cinema at www.soccercinema. co.za or on your phone at soccercinema.param.mobi. You can also interact with the team on Facebook and Twitter.
