This documentary from the Scandinavian Film Festival was too Hollywoodesq to make a real impact.
Following the first ever Somali bandy team in their struggle to reach the World Championship in Siberia 2014. The team lives and trains in Borlänge, Sweden and is coached by legendary, former bandy player Per Fosshaug and Cia Embretsen.
The story itself has been overdone, both as in fiction and in documentaries. “The underdog rises up and wins,” in order for this concept to be made interesting you really have to bring something new to the table. This film didn’t. What it did do was employ impressive cinematography, albeit inappropriate and a pop music soundtrack to accompany the film’s footage and interviews. This made it feel fake and gave the film a rather inappropriate tone of a documentary.
Another one of my issues was the fact that at no point did the film say it was a documentary, for the first 20 minutes I was unsure what I was watching and it did have a slow beginning.
Overall, this is one that you can avoid, I feel that there’ll certainly be better films on display at this year’s Scandinavian Film Festival.
2.5 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of KMPR
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