Football at this year’s Karlovy Vary festival isn’t confined to TV screens – it’s on the big screen as well. One example is Cantona, a documentary tracing the five-year spell that the controversial French striker spent at Manchester United.
“When Eric Cantona came to England, I was a teenager and completely obsessed with football. I saw him play live many times. He was part of my life. He's still an icon,” director David Tryhorn explained after the screening, describing why he wanted to make the film.
However, getting the now 60-year-old former footballer, who retired at the age of 30, to take part was no easy task. “He had already turned down several documentary filmmakers. We kept approaching him over a number of years before he finally agreed,” said the British director, who co-directed the film with Ben Nicholas, following their previous documentaries about Pelé, Luís Figo and Vinnie Jones.
What ultimately won over the Marseille-born star was the filmmakers’ approach to telling his story. “We essentially framed it as a love story between Eric Cantona and Alex Ferguson,” Tryhorn said, assuring the audience that the former player and the legendary Manchester United manager remain close friends and are still in touch.
When asked what it was like working with someone known for his explosive temperament, Tryhorn said Cantona turned out to be surprisingly kind and courteous. “But there’s still something unpredictable about him, so I was nervous. I was nervous again at the premiere in Cannes, sitting next to him as he watched his infamous kung-fu kick,” the director admitted. The incident, in which Cantona assaulted a fan in the stands with a flying kick in January 1995, resulted in a months-long suspension. The documentary also became the first to feature the footage, as the Premier League had never previously granted permission for its use.
According to Tryhorn, Cantona is pleased with the result. “He doesn’t care about his image. He embraces his mistakes,” remarked Tryhorn. The documentary also features a brief appearance by another football icon, David Beckham, who has always been far more protective of his public image. “I wanted to show what Cantona meant to the next generation of players. When you hear David Beckham say that Cantona was his hero, you understand just how important he was,” explained the director, recalling that after Eric Cantona got his first tattoo, not only Beckham but also many other people in England followed suit.
