Mudbloods

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling gave to the world a fictional sport called “quidditch,” which involves flying around on brooms, throwing balls through hoops, and trying to catch an elusive “golden snitch.” Pure fantasy, but that didn't stop a batch of students at Middlebury College in Vermont from establishing a more earthbound version of the game in 2005. In less than a decade, more quidditch teams were formed at other schools, enough to justify the creation of a league with formal rules and an annual world cup series leading to a championship. Filmmaker Farzad Sangari's Mudbloods focuses on the quidditch team from UCLA as it evolves from its early days of having a campus reputation for nerdiness into becoming serious competitors. But first there's the matter of how one plays quidditch outside of Potteresque fantasy. Brooms don't actually fly, so the sight of college men and women (teams are mixed) running around while holding a broom between their legs looks pretty laughable. But once viewers get past that silly detail, it's easy to admire the kids' desire—all non-elite athletes—to be part of something: organizing themselves into a supportive community, allowing leaders to rise, raising funds, and in the process getting a lot of exercise. While the first half of the film is about adapting quidditch for the real world, the second half follows the ups and downs at the fifth world cup, telling a fairly familiar tale about sports underdogs. Extras include an audio commentary and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Sure to be appreciated by Harry Potter fans, this is recommended. [Note: this is also available with public performance rights for $349 from Bond Educator, www.bondeducator.com.] Aud: P. (T. Keogh)