MARINETTE
France, 2023, 93 minutes, Colour.
Garance Marillier, Emilie Dequenne, Alban Lenoir, Fred Testot, Sylvie Testud.
Directed by Virginie Verrier.
A football story. From France, opening in 1987, continuing its story throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. It is based on the life and career of French football player, Marinette Pichon.
The film appeared at the same time as the Swedish film, Tigers/Tigra, also a football story, focusing on the career of Matt Bengtsson.
While the opening of the film focuses on Marinette as a little girl, her skill with the ball, her relationship with her family, with the school children, it emerges that she is a skilled player and that she has determined that this will be her life. However, the film focuses on the difficulties with female football players and their clubs, the lack of professional recognition (even to the time of the release of this film), the bad comparisons with male football players, organisation, salaries… To that extent, the film is an expose of French treatment of female players.
However, Marinette is scouted by American clubs and moves to the US, achieving great success, some failures, especially concerning Olympic Games possibilities, but persevering with her play as well as with her campaigns. And, there are rivalries in the French team, whereas she is welcomed in the United States.
Marinette has been at the forefront of gay rights, gay marriage, and the film dramatises these aspects of her life – and highlights them at the end of the film.
- A football story? European football? Female players, the situation, organisation, pay?
- A French story, France and its devotion to football, men’s teams, women’s teams, contrasting organisation, payment, professionalism?
- This story based on an actual character and her life and career? As a little girl, fascination with football, going onto the field, the coach, encouraging her, her play, reactions? Support from her mother and sister? Aiming to be professional?
- Growing up, the years passing, her commitment to football, training, skills?
- Her working with the French team, the management, the other players, amateur status, training sequences, playing sequences, spirit of the team, clashes, the coaches and support? French play, success, but women’s sport as minor?
- Scouted by the Americans, her transfer to the US, language limits, the welcome, the professionalism, the training, the matches, the ups and downs, missing the Olympics, her perseverance, her skills? With management, with coaches?
- Marinette and her personal life, the attractions, the relationships, gay rights issues, same-sex marriage, her life, public support and campaigning?
- Marinette and her family, the continued support of her mother?
- Finishing her career, record set, achievement? And into the future and her social campaigns?
