In the Game

After ten years, director Aysun Bademsoy returns to the five protagonists of her two documentaries about a Turkish women's football team from Berlin. The young women who were once united by an inseparable friendship now lead their own considerably different lives. Three have got married, one remains alone with a child, and the other plays football on a semi-professional basis. Nevertheless, their stories still have something in common. Previously, it was their love for a sport, which is still primarily perceived as a man's domain. Today, it is the issue of Turkish women's position in a society where they are an ethnic minority. Finding a good job or enrolling one's child in a "German" school is almost impossible, even though the reigning system of integration is ostensibly accommodating. Consequently, these ladies are hampered by two prejudices. Moreover, as Turkish females they are supposed to fulfil the expectations associated with the traditional role of women in society. The close relationship between the director and the film's protagonists allows for information to be received as though we were present during their intimate interviews. This movie shows how difficult it is in the short term to deal with inequality in society and how much more remains to be done on both sides of the fence. While legislation can be changed relatively quickly, altering people's mindsets will probably take several generations. Finding and asserting one's freedom therefore remains the most difficult task.