Ragnhild Ekner turns her camera on the worldwide ultras scene, a fiercely devoted corner of football culture where ritual and camaraderie shape more than the game. The Swedish director, an IFK Göteborg devotee, began the project in the wake of a close friend’s death, using the film as a way to process grief by mapping the people and places that fill the stands.
Across the 89 minutes, Ekner travels from Europe to Asia and beyond, collecting interviews, crowd sequences, and archival clips that sketch how ultras operate off the pitch as well as on it. She often avoids close-ups of individuals, instead letting banners, choreographed displays, and sea of spectators carry the story forward.
Violence and discipline exist within the subculture, the film acknowledges, but it treats those tensions as part of a larger human drama about belonging, freedom, and the shared love of the game. The imagery—flares bursting, fevered singing, and sweeping stadium vistas—builds a hypnotic mood that lingers after the final whistle.
Ekner’s journey touches different corners of the world: the term’s Italian roots; the presence of female ultras in Indonesia; and memories of tragedy such as the Port Said disaster. In England, a longtime Manchester City supporter recalls how the football experience has shifted over a quarter century, even as some fans gravitate toward smaller clubs like Eastbourne Town.
Words by Katherine McLaughlin assess the film as a thoughtful, passionate portrait that blends political context with heartfelt devotion. The documentary arrives on screens on 24 April 2026, following its publication on 21 April 2026.
Source: Original article
