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by Eva Hausberger
grade: 7.5
Heading is a brief and fascinating journey into a world we are all familiar with, but certain aspects of which we usually never analyse or observe.
May the best win!
There’s a lot of talk about football at the moment, particularly with the World Cup currently underway. But why does this sport manage to engage, unite and divide so many fans around the world? Why doesn’t any other sport manage to ‘unleash’ such powerful emotions and reactions in every fan quite like football does? Perhaps because, once in the stands at a football ground, you finally feel free to express yourself without any restraint, thanks in part to the presence of countless other people who, at that moment, want practically the same thing: victory for their favourite team. In any case, director Eva Hausberger decided to analyse this phenomenon; in her experimental short film Heading, made in 2008, she focused specifically on the reactions of supporters during a match between the teams Döblinger Kojoten and FreundInnen der Friedhofstribüne.
At the beginning of Heading, a few flags are shown in close-up and out of focus. It doesn’t matter which teams are about to play; what matters is seeing how the crowd reacts during the match. In the foreground, we see the feet of the players as they prepare to enter the pitch. Then, at last, we see the real stars on the movie screen. The stands are absolutely packed. And when we see all the fans filmed from the distance, we immediately realise how a sport like football can bring even complete strangers together.
As already mentioned, therefore, the real peculiarity of this Heading lies precisely in its focus on emotions. To this end, Eva Hausberger has frequently given us intense close-ups of numerous supporters. On their faces, we can see, in turn, hope, satisfaction, disappointment, but also anger, relief and boundless joy. And thanks to this directorial approach – seemingly simple and minimalist, yet carefully studied down to the smallest detail – we too, even without seeing what is happening on the pitch, find ourselves watching the match with excitement. And are not the emotions of those experiencing the game first-hand the true ultimate purpose of it all?
Heading, then, is a brief and exciting journey into a world we all know, but certain aspects of which we usually never analyse and observe. In just eleven minutes (the ideal running time to fully convey the idea behind the film), the entire course of the match – including moments of anticipation, disappointment and joy – magically comes to life on the movie screen, without us ever seeing a single scene from the match itself. Songs, smiles, imprecations and silences are the true soul of this fascinating Heading. And in just eleven minutes, the very essence of the effect that football (and sport in general) has on all of us is perfectly depicted.
Original title: Kopfball
Directed by: Eva Hausberger
Country/year: Austria / 2008
Running time: 11’
Genre: documentary, experimental
Screenplay: Eva Hausberger
Cinematography: Viktor Schaider
Produced by: eleven minutes