Pelada: The Film About Pick-Up Soccer Around the World

We get a fair few emails at The Offside, with various people asking us to give their product or organization a mention. Often it’s inappropriate. Like a book about the NFL, and we received the mass email because someone got their footballs confused. But occasionally we’ll get an email pointing us towards something genuinely brilliant, something we’re only too happy to share.

The image above is taken from the yet-to-be-completed documentary film Pelada. Here’s the explanation from the film’s website:

Every country has a different word for it. In the United States, we call it “pick-up soccer.” In Trinidad, it’s “taking a sweat.” In England, it’s “having a kick-about.” In Brazil, the word is “pelada,” which literally means “naked”—the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere—and it’s a window into lives all around the world.

Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college soccer stars who didn’t quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

Got it? Click below to see the pretty incredible trailer:

If you’re anything like me then your first reaction to seeing that trailer is probably jealousy. Who wouldn’t want to travel the world playing pick-up soccer? Although I may have to hit the gym and do a bit of toning before playing on any Brazilian beaches. Might need to learn a couple of tricks too before joining in that game in Paris.

The most striking thing (apart from jealously) is how the game looks so similar and yet so different around the world. Or vice versa.

The trailer shows football played on grass, concrete, sand, dirt and so on, with all kinds of balls (the handmade ball in Ghana and the completely flat Nike Total 90 ball in Brazil) and by all kinds of people. My absolute favourite from the trailer has to be the construction workers who are building the Green Point World Cup 2010 stadium in Cape Town using their hardhats for goalposts and playing in their overalls. Superb.

The movie is in the final stages of production, so the filmmakers are now trying to spread the word and get Pelada into festivals this year. So tell your football-loving friends. To learn more about the film, you can visit the Pelada website here, where you can also make a donation to help them get the film finished and released.

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Category: World Football