STANDARD, LE FILM

Welcome to the hell that is Sclessin. To the untrained eye it looks like a football stadium, but for die-hard Standard fans it’s more like a cathedral, the holy of holies. They have names like Francis, Nadine, Chris or Sebastien and they only have eyes for their “Rouches” (as they pronounce the rouge of the Liège side’s jerseys). They were born Standard, live and die Standard. The team’s recent variable results, while inviting unfavourable comparisons to past glories, can’t dampen their passion, deeply rooted in a working-class mining culture that steadfastly resists the siren call of the modern business of sports. With this second feature documentary, director Benjamin Marquet approaches sports fandom as a storyteller, not a sociologist. The immersive visuals, built from fixed, mostly close shots, work all the better because the sports footage is left in the dressing room. The real show is happening in the stands, with the field either off-camera or blocked by a giant tifo. We accompany these fans and their chants, going back-and-forth between ultra and junior factions (looking like something out of P'tit Quinquin), in a world where You Never Walk Alone. A beautiful, so very Belgian curiosity. 

Preceded by a sneack preview Black & White Stripes – The Juventus Story Marco La Villa | Mauro La Villa