“Rättskiparen (The Referee) is short documentary about Martin Hansson, the referee who mi...

“Rättskiparen (The Referee) is short documentary about Martin Hansson, the referee who mi...

“Rättskiparen (The Referee) is short documentary about Martin Hansson, the referee who mi...

Rättskiparen (The Referee) is short documentary about Martin Hansson, the referee who missed Thierry Henry’s handball. A Swedish television program had already committed to this project before the infamous incident which kept Ireland from going to South Africa. The station’s plan had been to track the country’s top ranked referee in the months leading up to the 2010 World Cup - as fate would have it, the story of course got more complex with that one game. It’s an incredible portrait - part of a wave of films looking at referees. This one has an unusually personal quality to it. “

A life of enforcement unappreciated by the world. The most selfless of professions, but virtuous as well? I’m not so sure. Communication is the key to any sort of leadership, and we all know that if you confront someone personally, then usually the truth will arise. An impersonal approach to refereeing takes away all reasoning for their not to be technology in football. Interaction allows for the truth to arise, and if Henry was asked whether or not he had handled the ball, then we could very well have seen Ireland in South Africa this past summer. Anyway, this documentary is spectacularly intricate and even dark. Definitely worth a watch if you have time on your hands. What do you make of the life of a referee?

(Source: cheekychip)