Pelada (The Soccer Project) World Premiere

[Verga3]

Pelada will premiere next month at the SXSW Film Festival in the documentary category. http://www.pelada-movie.com/

This has been a 3+ year labor of love by filmmakers Gwendolyn Oxenham (Duke Soccer '04), Rebekah Fergusson (Duke Soccer '07), Ryan White (Duke) and Luke Boughen (Notre Dame Soccer) as they travelled to 25 countries to show a different view of soccer, as a game and as a unifier. Check out this YouTube trailer for a taste. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B5WxyGkDao

Beautiful stuff. Can't wait to see the final product!

[RainingThrees]

Looks like a great flick. One can get a small taste of what soccer is for other countries if he/she plays with 1st generation Americans or immigrants from Latin countries. I often play pick-up with some guys from Central America and it is as much of their culture as the church is if not more. When they think of sport, soccer is what comes to mind.

[Verga3]

When much of the world thinks of sport soccer comes to mind....it is certainly the world's game. This film adds an explanation point.

[Verga3]

SI.com's Grant Wahl has a nice piece on his blog today on Pelada. Congrats to all, especially our own Gwen, Rebekah and Ryan. Can't wait to see it. http://fannation.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/grant_wahl/posts/97801-americans-travel-globe-in-search-of-pickup-soccer

[bfree]

I'll be in Austin for South By Southwest, but will only have a music wristband. Anyone know who I can e-mail to get in to the screening?

[A-Tex Devil]

I'll be in Austin for South By Southwest, but will only have a music wristband. Anyone know who I can e-mail to get in to the screening?

It looks like Pelada is playing several times over the course of the week long SXSW Film Festival (which begins before the music festival).

I am almost certain that you can line up for the movies ahead of time, and then just buy a ticket to get in if there is room after the convention-goers and wristband-wearers get in (similar to how the music festival works). I've been told that as long as you show up an hour or so beforehand, you can usually get into a movie unless it is a more mainstream release, has a famous actor(s) or director, or had buzz at a previous film festival. I would talk to people once you get on the ground in Austin, though.

[wilson]

I'll be there. Ryan White, one of the filmmakers, is a good friend of mine from Duke. I tried to get DBR to pub this a little back when they were still making the film, but there weren't really any bites.
I'm very excited to see the film.

[Verga3]

I'll be there. Ryan White, one of the filmmakers, is a good friend of mine from Duke. I tried to get DBR to pub this a little back when they were still making the film, but there weren't really any bites.
I'm very excited to see the film.

Just wondering if you made it to see the premiere, wilson. Would love a report. Found a couple of very good recent interviews from Rebekah Fergusson http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/mo/entries/2010/03/09/5_questions_with_rebekah_fergu.html?srcTrk=RTR_336 228 and Ryan White http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2983 that tell more about the story behind the film.

[Verga3]

Pelada will be screened Saturday, April 10 at 8:00pm (Durham Central Park) and Sunday, April 11 at 7:30pm (Cinema Four) in Durham. Our Duke filmmakers will be present at the screenings. Definitely worth attending if you can get there. Unique and powerful stories, with world-class cinematography.

"To get a sense of Pelada's unique motivational quality, take the gut feeling a killer Nike commercial can evoke and imagine riding that high for 90 minutes…an all-around inspiring doc" Peter Debruge, VARIETY

"a marvelous new soccer documentary...what elevates Pelada from a cute highlight travelogue to something more resonant is the filmmakers' ability to find compelling stories and earn the trust of their interview subjects…the result is a film that combines eye-popping cinematography with human stories." Grant Wahl, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

http://www.pelada-movie.com/screenings/index.html

[blazindw]

I went and saw Pelada last night at the Avalon Theater in DC. What a fantastic documentary! It was something the Duke Club of Washington was promoting along with DC United and the American Outlaws, so needless to say a lot people I knew there last night. I really enjoyed it and bought the DVD last night as soon as I got home. It made me proud to see Duke alums doing so well and creating a documentary that draws inspiration from the beautiful game. It's given me ideas for a possible project of my own! Definitely a must-see.

[JohnGalt]

I caught Pelada last night...It's on Verizon Fios' movies on demand (Who would have thought?). Anyways, what an amazing trip! The Bolivian Salt Flats really blew me away. It was fun seeing the Green Point Stadium construction guys working on the stadium that I went to, as well. I have a question:

Were they really gone a year or was it an on again/off again thing? They must have been able to raise a ton of money if they were gone for an entire year...

[blazindw]

I caught Pelada last night...It's on Verizon Fios' movies on demand (Who would have thought?). Anyways, what an amazing trip! The Bolivian Salt Flats really blew me away. It was fun seeing the Green Point Stadium construction guys working on the stadium that I went to, as well. I have a question:

Were they really gone a year or was it an on again/off again thing? They must have been able to raise a ton of money if they were gone for an entire year...

At the DC premiere, director Ryan White was there and said they were gone for the better part of a year. He said that when the money started running out they had to make tough decisions about where to go...he mentioned wanting to go to Mexico towards the end of the trip but then having to cut that from the itinerary.