If football does not always have a good reputation within the gay community, it has nevertheless inspired several significant LGBT works. Biopic, documentary or fiction: these five films and series tell queer stories that unfold on the fields as well as off.
Marinette (2023)
France’s first professional female footballer, a pioneer of women’s football and a lesbian figure, Marinette Pichon certainly deserved her biopic. Directed by Virginie Verrier, Marinette traces her journey, from a childhood marked by family violence to her ascent to the highest level. More than a sports film, it is the portrait of a woman who refuses the roles assigned to her and forges ahead against all odds.
>> Marinette, by Virginie Verrier, available on Canal+’s VOD, Prime Video or Apple TV.
Mario (2018)
What happens when love enters the locker room? This is the central question of Mario. While he is betting his future on a Swiss team, Mario sees his certainties falter when he falls in love with Leon, a new recruit from Germany. With a lot of sensitivity, Marcel Gisler’s film shows the weight of silence, the fear of others’ gaze and the price some athletes still pay to live their homosexuality freely.
>> Mario, by Marcel Gisler, available on Canal+’s VOD.
Farewell My Shame
Adapted from Ouissem Belgacem’s autobiographical account, this documentary series traces the journey of a young football hopeful faced with the impossibility of embracing his homosexuality in the professional milieu. In four episodes, it explores both the mechanisms of homophobia and the intimate consequences of secrecy and shame. A valuable testimony on a reality often invisible in top-level sport.
>> Farewell My Shame, by Renaud Bertrand, available on Canal+.
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Under its breezy British comedy vibe, Bend It Like Beckham has become a classic for an entire generation. Jess, a British-Indian teenage girl, dreams of football while her family imagines she should follow a completely different path. Between culture clash, quest for independence and ambiguous friendships, Gurinder Chadha’s film speaks with finesse about the pressures weighing on young women. And while its lesbian subtext has long sparked debate, it continues to feed the queer imagination more than twenty years after its release.
>> Bend It Like Beckham, by Gurinder Chadha, available on Disney+’s or Prime Video’s VOD.
5. The Land of Storms
Football is here only a doorway to something else. After leaving his training centre in Germany, Szabolcs returns to the Hungarian countryside where he meets Ron. Between desire, solitude and the difficulty of finding his place in a conservative rural environment, The Land of Storms unfolds a sensitive and melancholic narrative. A film where the football gradually gives way to a story of love and emancipation.
>> The Land of Storms, by Ádám Császi, available on Prime Video.
