Leo Africanus

Earlier this month, ESPN screened “Kobe Doin’ Work,” by American director, Spike Lee.

In the film, Lee focused 30 cameras on Kobe Bryant, the star point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, during a regular season game against the San Antonio Spurs. Lee captured Bryant’s every move at the expense of the game or his teammates.  Lee acknowledged that he got the idea for the film from the 2006 film,”Zidane. A 21st Century Protrait” (2006). In that film, directors Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno trained 17 cameras for 90 minutes on Zinedane Zidane, the French midfielder during a Spanish league game between Zidane’s club, Real Madrid, and Villareal.

What most people don’t know is that both the Bryant film and the Zidane film was based on a much older, and more interesting, football film.

In September 1970 German avant-garde director Helmut Costard–in what was a revolutionary concept at the time–used eight cameras, to film Northern Ireland football star George Best for a league match between his club, Manchester United, and Coventry City. The result was the 100 minute film, “Fußball wie noch nie” (Football as never before), that was released one year later.

I’ve always wanted to see the Best film.

On Tuesday, June 2, Cabinet Magazine is organizing a screening of the George Best film, followed by a discussion with the cultural critic Simon Critchley (300 Nevins Street, Brooklyn, NY, FREE. No RSVP necessary).

Sadly, I can’t go as I will be in Washington D.C. But if you’re in the New York City area, go see it.