Director Taiga Waititi reveals the challenges of making a soccer movie as he talks about his latest feature, The Next Goal. The movie tells the true story of Thomas Langan and the American Samoa national soccer team, which was considered the worst team in the world when Langan took over in 2011. Wetiti, who won the Oscar for "JoJo Rabbit," talks about the making of the film and his approach to it by adding elements of humor and exploring deeper themes such as loss and grief.
As a Pacific Islander, Waititi felt he had the right and cultural understanding to reveal the team's struggles and satirize them in an inoffensive way. While filming soccer scenes, Waititi recognized the challenge of making them look vibrant on screen. He enlisted the help of sports photographers and cinematographers to make sure the action looked realistic and exciting.
The goal was to create a sense of narrative and fun while conveying the back and forth intensity of the game. Waititi also expresses his views on soccer as a sport taking itself too seriously. The Next Goal, which stars Michael Fassbender as Langan, was released in the U.S. last week and will be in U.K. theaters on December 29th. You can hear an interview with Waititi on the Football Business Podcast where he talks about his thoughts on this wonderful game and the narrative opportunities it offers.
