Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

2006

1h 30m

Documentary

List

65%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

62%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A soccer match between Real Madrid and Villareal from the perspective of player Zinédine Zidane.

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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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David Fear

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Manohla Dargis

New York Times

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.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 24, 2008

Full Review

J. Hoberman

Village Voice

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.

Oct 22, 2008

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

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.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 3, 2018

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

If you believe soccer is indeed the beautiful game, then you're destined to fall hopelessly in love with what you see here.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jun 15, 2018

Full Review

Michael Nordine

L.A. Weekly

For all the fuss that's sometimes been made of the film's semi-experimental approach, it is first and foremost a sensory experience that puts the viewer right on the field.

Jul 12, 2012

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Zidane is the best football player of all the timess and he will be forever and ever

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This should be looped on a flat-screen at the Tate Modern museum...with Mogwai blaring over the speakers...beautifully shot and thoroughly original...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Synopsis

A soccer match between Real Madrid and Villareal from the perspective of player Zinédine Zidane.

Director: Douglas Gordon, Philippe Parreno
Production Co: MEDIA Programme of the European Union, Centre National de la Cinematographie, Anna Lena Films, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Canal+, Naflastrengir, Arte France Cinema, CinéCinéma, Love Streams Productions, Centre National des Arts Plastiques
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: French (France)
Runtime: 1h 30m