There are times when the fates that control the universe display their ripping sense of humor. On June 2nd, Sepp Blatter announced his shock resignation as FIFA President, effective once FIFA schedules a special congress to elect his successor. On June 5th, the Blatter vanity project United Passions, FIFA’s multi-million dollar propaganda film championing Blatter as the most honorable and pure person who has ever lived, will be making its American premiere.
The film was made in 2014, back when FIFA’s corruption was just a punchline and before arrests were made. Even then it was treated as a bit of a joke when it appeared at Cannes and it turned out to be a gigantic flop at the box office, losing tens of millions of dollars. Now in the most delicious of ironies, United Passions will be released in the same country whose Department of Justice brought down FIFA’s house of cards.
Speaking to the New York Times about the film’s American release, director Frédéric Auburtin claimed his hands were tied in telling the story FIFA wanted told:
“I didn’t have the freedom to do a Michael Moore movie at all,” he said. “If I started the movie with flashlights and sirens coming to Zurich, like what happened last Wednesday — I knew if we would write any line like this, everyone would say: ‘What are you doing, man? Come on.’ ”
Regarding Blatter’s hands-on involvement in the film, Auburtin said that he worked as a de facto co-producer:
A kind of anticipatory self-censorship was at play, Mr. Auburtin said. “Every time we are showing something about Blatter himself, it’s very, very difficult because the guy is the boss,” he said. “The guy is co-producing more than half the film, nearly 80 percent.”
The Independent says United Passions will be released in U.S. theaters on June 5th, but at this moment we haven’t found a list of how many theaters or where the film might be playing. (If it’s within 200 miles of my home, it might be worth a road trip.)
To take you back to what United Passions is all about, it follows the journey of three of FIFA’s presidents, culminating in Blatter’s dramatic and heroic success story in cleaning up the beautiful game, championing human rights, and putting an end to corruption. Blatter (played by Tim Roth in the film) actually says in the film, “From now on, we will be exemplary in all respects. The slightest breach of ethics will be severely punished.”
Blatter is reportedly currently the subject of an FBI investigation as part of the larger FIFA probe.
Source tells ABC News that Blatter was indeed subject of FBI investigation.
— Doug McIntyre (@ByDougMcIntyre) June 2, 2015
I’ll give you a few seconds to stop the uncontrollable laughing fit.
It’s almost unfathomable just how inherently corrupt FIFA is, but this propaganda film being released in the midst of its own executives being arrested for corruption and the very star of the show falling on his own sword will end up being one of the longest-lasting and best examples.
If you want some laughs, here’s the trailer once again for your viewing pleasure:
Comments are closed.