“We are the most racist team in the country!” shout Beitar Jerusalem ultras, hard-core members of the Beitar Jerusalem football fan club. At the practise and games of the Jerusalem-based Beitar Jerusalem FC you can hear them use even harsher words. If the team plays against the only Arab team in the league, you can hear them shout: “Death to Arabs!”
Maya Zinshteins horrifying documentary focuses on the season 2012-2013. Beitar’s owner Arcadi Gaydamak adds two Chechen players to the team: the first Muslims in the line-up. The radical fans call themselves La Familia. They are furious and the team faces boycotts, and receives hate mail – even a Molotov cocktail is thrown at them.
Forever Pure is not just a documentary about a football team. It is a documentary revealing us how sport has always been used as a tool for building a nationalistic movement. Many years ago Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held his campaign rallies amongst the Beitar fans. Hate speech and racism has been silently approved by the right wing politicians. At the same time, the new players need body guards.
The black and yellow clad Ultra’s hold a banderol saying “Forever Pure”. History is out of joint. Memory is short.
Kaisu Tervonen / Translation: Tuomo Karvonen
Languages: Hebrew, Russian, Chechen
Subtitles: English
- Director: Maya Zinshtein
- Country: Israel, UK, Ireland, Norway
- Year: 2016
- Length: 85 min
- Age limit: null
- Cinematography: Sergei (Israel) Freedman
- Editing: Noam Amit, Justine Wright
- Music: Stephen Rennicks
- Production: Geoff Arbourne / Duckin' and Divin' Productions, Maya Zinshtein, Alan Maher, Torstein Grude
Showtimes:
- Kino Artis, hall 1: Friday 27.01 - 21:15