“an absolute must-see”
- E. Nina Rothe, HUFFINGTON POST
“The Team is real, raw, and full of unforgettable characters that struggle to take hope for a better future and the making of their own destiny into their own hands. There’s no simplistic resolution or fairy-tale ending; instead, there is hope in the resiliency, honesty and courage of people who are determined to shape a national destiny beyond tribalism. This is a “must see” film.”
- Dr. James Orbinski
“Soccer and soap operas – these ultimate symbols of national unity in Kenya are put to the test and explored superbly by Patrick Reed in The Team. A film that will bring audiences closer to understanding faraway lands and nearby hearts.”
- Ariel Dorfman
Winner of the Best Documentary at the Kenya International Film Festival, 2011
White Pine Pictures is proud to announce the nomination of The Team for 2011 Golden Sheaf Awards.
Kenya has long been considered Africa’s success story—relatively stable and ethnically harmonious.
But following their December 2007 Presidential election, everything changed. Voting controversy split the country along ethnic lines, pushing Kenya to civil war.
The international community intervened, a fragile peace was brokered, and a Truth and Reconciliation framework put in place. But as ethnic suspicion and violence continue to paralyze the country, many dismiss these actions as hollow political theatre.
An alternative local response is the creation of a taboo-breaking TV soap opera, “The Team,” following the struggles of a co-ed multi-ethnic soccer squad to overcome their differences, both on and off the pitch.
There’s inherent drama behind any TV production: will deadlines be met; will it be good? But here the stakes are exponentially higher: if you don’t captivate an audience, you risk further losing your country.
“The Team” is an intense, character-driven documentary offering a unique look at youth culture and popular media, following characters on and off the set, exploring how lives are reflected in the soap, and vice-versa. What can a soap opera achieve in a place desperate for change but teetering on the brink? Watch and see.
Produced by White Pine Pictures with the participation of Stories of Change, a project of The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program supported by the Skoll Foundation, ITVS International and The Canwest-Hot Docs Completion Fund. In Association with The Knowledge Network.
Human Rights Watch Film Festival – November 17th, 6:30pm
Alliance Francaise – Nairobi, Kenya
Free more info
World Premiere at IDFA 2010
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Nov. 19 – Dec. 5, 2010
Skoll World Forum 2011, (Oxford, England)
Human Rights Watch Film Festival (London, England) 27 – 28 March 2011
HOT DOCS, 2011 – CANADIAN PREMIERE (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Sunday, May 1st, 7pm, The Royal
Saturday, May 7th, 6.45pm, The Royal Ontario Museum
Sunday, May 8th, 7pm, The Revue
New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Tuesday, June 21st, 6.30pm, Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
Wednesday, June 22rd, 9pm, Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
Thursday, June 23rd, 4pm, Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
The Team
A film by Patrick Reed | Canada | 80'
Winner of the Best Documentary at the Kenya International Film Festival, 2011
White Pine Pictures is proud to announce the nomination of The Team for 2011 Golden Sheaf Awards.
Kenya has long been considered Africa’s success story—relatively stable and ethnically harmonious.
But following their December 2007 Presidential election, everything changed. Voting controversy split the country along ethnic lines, pushing Kenya to civil war.
The international community intervened, a fragile peace was brokered, and a Truth and Reconciliation framework put in place. But as ethnic suspicion and violence continue to paralyze the country, many dismiss these actions as hollow political theatre.
An alternative local response is the creation of a taboo-breaking TV soap opera, “The Team,” following the struggles of a co-ed multi-ethnic soccer squad to overcome their differences, both on and off the pitch.
There’s inherent drama behind any TV production: will deadlines be met; will it be good? But here the stakes are exponentially higher: if you don’t captivate an audience, you risk further losing your country.
“The Team” is an intense, character-driven documentary offering a unique look at youth culture and popular media, following characters on and off the set, exploring how lives are reflected in the soap, and vice-versa. What can a soap opera achieve in a place desperate for change but teetering on the brink? Watch and see.
Produced by White Pine Pictures with the participation of Stories of Change, a project of The Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program supported by the Skoll Foundation, ITVS International and The Canwest-Hot Docs Completion Fund. In Association with The Knowledge Network.
Worldwide Distribution: Films Transit International
Previous Screenings:
Human Rights Watch Film Festival – November 17th, 6:30pm
Alliance Francaise – Nairobi, Kenya
Free
more info
World Premiere at IDFA 2010
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Nov. 19 – Dec. 5, 2010
Skoll World Forum 2011, (Oxford, England)
Human Rights Watch Film Festival (London, England) 27 – 28 March 2011
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival (Durham, North Carolina, USA)
Saturday, April 16th, 1:20pm, Cinema Four
HOT DOCS, 2011 – CANADIAN PREMIERE (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Sunday, May 1st, 7pm, The Royal
Saturday, May 7th, 6.45pm, The Royal Ontario Museum
Sunday, May 8th, 7pm, The Revue
The London International Documentary Festival
Saturday, May 21st, 6.30pm, The Horse Hospital
Yorkton Film Festival, 2011 (May 26-29)
Berkshire International Film Festival (Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA)
Saturday, June 4th, 11.30pm, Triplex Cinema # 3
New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Tuesday, June 21st, 6.30pm, Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
Wednesday, June 22rd, 9pm, Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
Thursday, June 23rd, 4pm, Film Society of Lincoln Center Walter Reade Theater
Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival
Saturday, June 25th, 3.00pm
Kenya International Film Festival, Oct. 2011