“It’s not a film about a football player, it’s a film about a growing child,” explains director Jens Sjogren. The world premiere presentation at the Film Festival will be released in cinemas on 11 November, tonight in Rome
He is not in Rome (and he apologized with a video message), but there is so much of Ibra’s soul in Zlatan, the film that will be presented tonight, Thursday 21 October, at the Rome Film Festival as a world premiere, directed by Jens Sjogren and based on his autobiography Me, Ibra. It will arrive in Italian cinemas on November 11 with Lucky Red and Universal. “It is the story of my first twenty years”, says Zlatan in the opening message, in which he also thanks the director and performers. Here, the actors who bring Zlatan to the big screen are truly exceptional. Different ages – Dominic Bajraktari Andersson (11-13 years) and Granit Rushiti (17-23 years, striking similarity in movements and voice) – but the same extraordinary ability to give life to the proud gaze of the Ibra lion. “We wanted to tell his story now – says the director – because it can be a strong inspiration for younger people. And it is clear that this happens more easily if at the center of the biopic there is someone who is still in business. What we have I think it can also help everyone understand who is beyond the player. “
Football and more
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Zlatan it avoids outbursts of pretentious heroism, it only tells the story of a little boy full of defects, with an angular character, raised in an environment that is not always easy, capable of realizing his dream, making the most of his talent. Football is there, of course, from the first clay pitches in Rosengard (a suburb of Malmoe with a high density of immigrants) where no one is betting on him, to the explosion in the local Balken team, up to the Malmoe youth teams, followed by the first team and the problematic experience with Ajax. The film represents many well-known faces of the ball, from a young Mino Raiola (played by Emmanuele Aita) to Ronald Koeman, up to Luciano Moggi who will take him to Juve. But what really emerges is his character, his passion, everything behind Ibra’s fiery eyes that we still see on the pitch today. So here are the stolen bikes, the hunt for the Van Basten and Baggio sticker on the Euro ’92 album, the troubles in the family, the constant challenge with the teachers and then those in the field with the teammates, because “you never pass it” but also because Zlatan is not like them, so much so that he deserves a petition to exclude him from the Malmoe Primavera. “If you come from Rosengard you have to work twice as much,” he says to his little brother. While to the Dutch journalist who defines him as a “lazy immigrant” he replies on the ground.
Perspectives
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Ibra’s story is well known, but here we see something different. The director explains further: “Not only do we tell what happened before he became Ibrahimovic for everyone, but above all we do it from his perspective, with all his doubts, the difficulties of understanding what the problem was for those who took it out on him is desire strong to play only and exclusively for himself. It’s not so much a film about a football player, it’s a film about a growing child and this gives him a universal tone. “
Satisfied
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Zlatan, who followed the project closely while still leaving the screenwriters and director full freedom of movement, saw the film in Milan some time ago, “and was very happy. For me one of the greatest awards ever,” says Sjogren . And the guys who play him: “It was nice to meet him, he thanked us. He’s really cool.”
October 21 – 3pm
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