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Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

Play trailer Poster for Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait 2006 1h 30m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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67% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A soccer match between Real Madrid and Villareal from the perspective of player Zinédine Zidane.
Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Zidane, Un Portrait du 21E Siecle hits surprisingly few of the expected documentary beats, but the end result is still uniquely immersive.

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Critics Reviews

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Manohla Dargis New York Times 10/24/2008
3.5/5
You learn little by way of hard facts about the adored French soccer star and famous head-butter Zinedine Zidane in the formalist exercise that bears his name. Go to Full Review
J. Hoberman Village Voice 10/22/2008
He's set apart not only as the piece's sole subject but because he's hyper-alert, continually responding to invisible forces, raptly focused on events beyond the frame. Go to Full Review
Bill Weber Slant Magazine 10/21/2008
2/4
An overblown nearly-real-time documentary-cum-"art installation." Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 08/16/2024
4/5
…it probably helps if you love football, but Zidane was a sportman who transcended sport, and non-footie fans may still find this ethereal film to be a transformative experience… Go to Full Review
Kaleem Aftab The List 11/03/2018
4/5
As far as these filmmakers are concerned, Zidane, especially in the moments of tedium, is the modern day 'Outsider' in the true Camusian sense. As such this movie is more an analysis of the immigrant experience than of a footballer. Go to Full Review
Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) 06/15/2018
4.5/5
If you believe soccer is indeed the beautiful game, then you're destined to fall hopelessly in love with what you see here. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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06/04/2014 Un documental para amantes del fútbol. Los directores Douglas Gordon y Phillipe Parreno siguen a Zinedine Zidane, uno de los mejores jugadores del siglo XXI, durante un partido del Real Madrid vs el Villarreal. Son casi 20 cámaras las que nos muestran la forma de jugar de Zidane, los pensamientos en cada jugada, y los roces del juego. Recomendable en especial por la banda sonora de Mogwai. See more 08/13/2013 Zidane is the best football player of all the timess and he will be forever and ever See more 07/28/2013 Portrait as moving image. Don't go looking for facts or narratives. Totally immersive, although I had the advantage of seeing the band play the soundtrack live while the film was running above them. See more 02/04/2013 This should be looped on a flat-screen at the Tate Modern museum...with Mogwai blaring over the speakers...beautifully shot and thoroughly original... See more 10/19/2012 An interesting study of human priority and attention. How does its pacing relate to the lack of attention in humans as they spend little time worrying about bigger, more stressful issues than sport and entertainment? This film answers that (specific question) directly. It's a study, and not entertainment which may dread its audiences for sitting through it. See more 07/30/2012 A documentary-slash-art project showing 90 minutes of Zidane. No comments, no explanation, hardly any context, just images and some awesome sound editing. Highly original, hypnotic, and I admit, occasionally a bit boring. See more Read all reviews
Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

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Movie Info

Synopsis A soccer match between Real Madrid and Villareal from the perspective of player Zinédine Zidane.
Director
Douglas Gordon, Philippe Parreno
Production Co
Centre National des Arts Plastiques, Centre National de la Cinematographie, Anna Lena Films, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Arte France Cinema, Naflastrengir, Canal+, MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Love Streams Productions, CinéCinéma
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
French (France)
Runtime
1h 30m