Taika Waititi had two goals when approaching Next Goal Wins: one was to make sure people who looked like him found their way onto mainstream screens; two was making sure they were depicted taking the piss out of each other. He joked, after the world premiere, that Pacific Islanders are always shown playing majestic music and looking regal when reality was an infinite wealth of good-natured ribbing. And who better to embody that lack of self-satisfied pretension than arguably the worst soccer team to ever hit an international pitch: the American Samoa national football team, which lost to Australia 31 to nil in 2001.
As the island’s priest (Waititi) explains during his opening narration, the squad might have played even worse in the decade-plus that goes by once the film hits 2014. It’s here that Football Federation American Samoa president Tavita (Oscar Kightley) decides something needs to change. With World Cup...
As the island’s priest (Waititi) explains during his opening narration, the squad might have played even worse in the decade-plus that goes by once the film hits 2014. It’s here that Football Federation American Samoa president Tavita (Oscar Kightley) decides something needs to change. With World Cup...
- 9/11/2023
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
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