Bal mondial

14 june 2002

08.29 am deep in the cameroon bush, jean-rené nguelle zambo has a transistor radio pressed to his ear. The chieftain is out looking for food in the jungle together with several fishermen from his clan. Meanwhile, feet dangling in the water, he listens to the crackling commentary on the historic football match belgium v ussr. 

08.32 am in a rural village near moscow, natasja collects a dozen empty vodka bottles. “the result of the previous match”, is her critical analysis. Meanwhile, her husband and two sons top op their liquid courage during the game against the red devils. 

8.36 am a student digs in diepenbeek... Landlord robert is sitting in front of the tv, the belgian national flag draped around his shoulders and in the company of ten of his students. For a little while, football stress replaces exam stress. And then, in minute seven, the stadium erupts: walem puts the all-important 1-0 in the back of the russian net. And chief zambo has just caught a huge fish... 

‘bal mondial’ is a ten-part tv chronicle that documents the atmosphere during the 2002 world football championships in various locations and environments across the world. The 2002 world cup is the common denominator in a series about very different people from very different cultures that are united by one and the same global passion: football.

For one month, film crews recorded footage in cameroon, russia, belgium, argentina, the uk, japan, germany, senegal, brazil, south korea, spain, italy, nigeria, saudi arabia, sweden, denmark, france and turkey.