A Celebration of Football and Film

Sports documentaries are among my favourite film genres, so it was with great pleasure that I accepted the opportunity to help promote a wonderful film about the legendary Hungarian soccer star Ferenc Puskas and his whimsical adventure coaching a predominantly Greek-supported Melbourne soccer club to an Australian national championship some 34 years ago.

“Ange and the Boss: Puskas in Australia” is a lovely narrative that screened last weekend in Toronto as part of both the Hungarian Film Festival Toronto (HUFF) and the Greek International Film Festival Tour of Canada (GIFFT).

The film recounts the tale of the famed Puskas, once a star player with the likes of Real Madrid in the 1950’s and 60’s, and his rag-tag collection of semi-professional players at South Melbourne Hellas who went on to capture the 1991 National Soccer League Grand Final. The film also explores the immigrant experience that shaped the multicultural mosaic that is today’s Australia, which is often compared to the social fabric that defines Canada today.  

After the screening, I had the honour of moderating a brief panel discussion with one of the film’s directors, Cameron Fink, and the author of Puskas’ official biography, Hungarian sports journalist Gyorgy Szollosi, who appears in the film. Both gentlemen offered their unique perspectives on the subject of the documentary and the legacy he left behind in Australia and in other parts of the world.

Many institutions, sporting facilities and commemorative landmarks around the world bear his name. Puskas’ status in soccer history is so revered that FIFA bestowed his name to the annual award for the year’s best goal. 

While ethnic-based rivalries may have defined Australia’s soccer landscape in the early 1990’s, this film unified two communities, both in Australia and here in Canada, in celebration of a legendary figure of the sport that transcended ethnicity and nationality.

If you’re even a modest soccer fan and you love a story of triumph overcoming adversity, I urge you to seek out this film. It will definitely amuse and entertain you but, ultimately, it will uplift your spirit.