The Home Game Review: Heartwarming Tale of Iceland’s Football Underdogs

Set in Hellissandur, Iceland, with a population of just 369, this modest documentary tells the heartwarming story of how the village got its first football pitch. The entire community came together to transform a sunken patch in a lava field into a usable site for matches, leading to an inspiring cup dream. Youth coach Viðar Gylfason spearheaded the effort and is one of the key contributors who appear on screen to bring the narrative to life. Initially, it seems like too simple a tale to fill even the film’s modest 79-minute runtime.

Gylfason recounts his ambitious plan to christen the new pitch in 1996 with a cup game for the local team, Reynir FC. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, leaving the dream unfulfilled. This setback creates a bridge to a present-day narrative, where filmmakers follow a spirited group of locals as they try to assemble a team to finally achieve Gylfason’s dream. The stakes are low, and the film is aware of it; you’ll either find yourself charmed or indifferent. However, several film festival audiences, including those in Glasgow, were indeed charmed, awarding the film for its endearing story.

These accolades typically go to films that are tragic, politically provoking, or heartwarming. “The Home Game” falls into the latter category, boasting small-town characters with quirky ambitions to realize a decades-old failed dream. The tale of a plucky underdog team working together against the odds is a timeless, comforting narrative.

This documentary isn’t looking to revolutionize the genre or employ radical storytelling techniques; it aims to tell a small, straightforward story. It’s easy to imagine it playing on a loop for tourists in a Hellissandur visitors’ center. Should the film aim for higher aspirations? Perhaps, but criticizing the film for not doing more would be somewhat unfair. Like chastising Leyton Orient for not competing in European leagues, sometimes there’s room for the little guy too.

• “The Home Game” is now showing at Bertha DocHouse, London from 24 August.

Source: The Guardian