Copa 71 (2023)
6KCopa 71 (2023). 1h 30m
“u0026quot;Copa 71u0026quot; premiered at TIFF last month, and made its US debut at DocFest as part of the Seattle Independent Film Festival. It received rave reviews at both, so itu0026#39;s telling that as of this writing itu0026#39;s currently rocking a 4.5/10 on IMDb for what is probably the most egregious sin of all– treating women like human beings.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film has one primary focus, as shown in the title: In 1971, in Mexico City and Guadalajara, a non-FIFA Womenu0026#39;s World Cup was held. Six teams were invited, and where the tournament holders imagined it a sideshow, they had dollar signs in their eyes and stadiums to fill (FIFA denied them the use of the regular stadiums, so they were u0026#39;forcedu0026#39; into the two largest stadiums in the country).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs a film, its focus is narrow, but that singular focus is so utterly fascinating, and the players so passionate, that this is hardly a complaint. The burial of this sporting event is mentioned barely at all, the film doesnu0026#39;t even make mention of the next (also overlooked) womenu0026#39;s tournament in 1985, skipping to the first official FIFA sanctioned event in 1991.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThese are minor concerns, as the film is necessary both as an educational tool, and as a historical document. Iu0026#39;m male, Iu0026#39;ve got a basic familiarity with soccer, but like all great sports documentaries, you can go in blind and be captivated by the story theyu0026#39;re trying to tell, regardless. Yes, the open sexism these women had to deal with is still alive and well (see: the current IMDb rating), but that is less the focus than the very real fact that even in 1971, women playing soccer sold out a 110,000 seat stadium.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYou canu0026#39;t not love these women, unless youu0026#39;re the unfortunate type of person who never cared for women in the first place. If thatu0026#39;s you, you donu0026#39;t need to review bomb, just find something else to be mad about. Womenu0026#39;s soccer is the fastest growing sport in the world, and this documentary is a testament that itu0026#39;s been a long time coming.”
