Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait

Colour, 35 mm
France, Iceland, 2006, 91 min
Section: Cinema Gallery

Synopsis

Presenting a different approach to the sports film, artists Gordon and Parreno created a real time portrait and in-depth film focusing on one of the greatest soccer players of the century, Zinédine Zidane. During the entire 92 minutes of a Real Madrid vs. Villarreal match, seventeen super-35mm Scope format and High Definition cameras were set around the Bernabeu stadium focusing solely on Zidane. In this film, the viewers are plunged into all facets of the universe, the psychology and the body of an athlete in action – an incomparable and breathtaking experience. Gordon & Parreno put together a strong team for the project: the Director of Photography for this conceptual documentary is Darius Khondji (Seven, Alien: Resurrection), aided by cameramen who worked with Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese. The soundtrack was recorded by Scottish post-rockers Mogwai, with editing by Hervé Schneid (Amelie), and sound by Tom Johnson (King Kong, Requiem for a Dream).

About the director

The work of Douglas Gordon (b. Glasgow) epitomises a new fluidity which has developed between video and film in contemporary art. Gordon was awarded the Turner Prize in London (1996), the Premio 2000 at the Venice Biennale (1997) and the Hugo Boss Prize in New York (1998). He created a 24-hour version of Hitchcock’s Psycho entitled 24 Hour Psycho (1993). French artist Philippe Parreno, based in Paris, creates works which examine the nature of the image. He often draws on existing material and enriches it with his own, mostly narrative ideas.