Soccer City
Race. Class. Poverty. Faith. Hope. Soccer. With soccer in township South Africa and the first ever FIFA World Cup in Africa as a lens, witness the ongoing transition from apartheid South Africa within a township largely misunderstood even by South Africans. “Soccer City” is a collection of profiles of five individuals born and raised in the oldest and most notorious of South Africa’s townships, Alexandra, locally known as ‘Alex.’
Seventeen year-old dribbling sensation and goal-scorer Nancy “Maradona” Majola fights physical, financial and equal rights adversity of all kinds as a young woman in a sport still dominated by men. One day, she says, she will make it and play for Banyana Banyana (the women’s national team).
Soccer is super-charming, twenty-one year-old Ricardo “Rico” Kutumela’s pride and joy yet he abandoned professional aspirations to try to win a prestigious scholarship to an Afrikaans university. He succeeded. He works for a TV ad agency and flashes his incredible smile for companies like MTN. He lives and says he will always live in Alex.
One of the most famous professional soccer players in South African history, forty year-old Isaac “Shakes” Kungwane has long since retired and is all too familiar with the politics of football in South Africa but is part of a big family, is still hustling, still laughing, and still partying.
Twenty-one year-old defender Patrick “Raiden” Phungwayo is one of five professional footballers in Alex and something of a celebrity. A left back for BIDVest Wits, he was voted young player of the year last season, has played against national teams and may have a real shot at every kid’s dream––playing professional soccer overseas.
Sixty-nine year-old Jacob “Babes” Bopape was one of South Africa’s first professional footballers. He has lived most of his life within the unjust system that was Apartheid South Africa and has also witnessed the country’s inspiring transition to an equal and democratic nation and he has the near photographic memory to prove it. Full of hope and faith, he is also inescapably scarred by the years of injustice and oppression.
“Comeback Kid” is the pilot episode (1 of 13) of “Soccer City” and introduces Nancy “Maradona” Majola.
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Thanks to a host of fantastic partners, you can find all of SOCCER CITY in theaters, on television, the Internet, video-on-demand channels and on your mobile phone in the following places:
In the United States
Theaters
TV
Internet/VOD
Anywhere else in the world
Television
- SuperSport
Internet/VOD
- National Geographic Channel International
- SuperSport
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Credits
Executive Producers:
Nick Fitzhugh
Josh Fitzhugh
Director/Producer and Art Director:
Nick Fitzhugh
Photography:
Nick Fitzhugh
Pete Muller
Editor:
Arthur Hurley
Assistant Director:
Pete Muller
Soundtrack:
Kelela Mizanekristos
Sound Edit & Mix:
Daniel Magnani
Richard Humphries
Starring:
Jacob “Babes” Bopape
Nancy “Maradona” Majola
Patrick “Raiden” Phunwayo
Ricardo “Rico” Kutumela
Isaac “Shakes” Kungwane
