The 2022 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held in Qatar—a tiny but fabulously wealthy Persian Gulf state—which has already begun building facilities to host the tournament with its expected multitudes of fans. The construction workers are not Qatari, of course, but migrants (mostly from Africa and East Asia) who after being lured to the project by recruiters making false promises concerning pay and working conditions find themselves living in cramped dormitory-like quarters as virtually indentured servants. In order to boost morale—and ostensibly show a degree of "social responsibility"—the people in charge of the operation decide to sponsor a soccer tournament, fielding teams of workers from the various companies that have been contracted to manage the construction projects. Adam Sobel’s documentary follows one such team representing the Gulf Construction Company (GCC) as it trains and competes in a series of games leading to the championship match, focusing on five players—from Ghana, Nepal, Kenya, and India—as well as an Indian from the company’s middle management who serves as the team manager. Sobel examines their hopes and disappointments as each tells his story, with team captain Kenneth (who dreams of parlaying his play into a soccer career), emerging as an especially touching figure. By the close, viewers may be left with the sad realization that the tournament is just another form of exploitation, not just of the players, but also the co-workers who cheer them on in the name of company loyalty. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Workers Cup
(2018) 92 min. DVD: $69.95 ($350 w/PPR from edu.passionriver.com). Passion River (avail. from most distributors in October). PPR. Volume 33, Issue 5
The Workers Cup
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