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United Passions: The Weird FIFA Propaganda Film You Still Can’t See

As vanity projects go, Fifa’s self-funded movie ‘United Passions’ took some beating.

And now, following the humiliating arrests of many of the organisation’s top executives on corruption charges, the film at least has miles worth of column inches to ride on that money can’t buy.

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But so far, the movie, which premiered in Cannes last year to much scratching of heads, has avoided release, other than, oddly, in Serbia last summer.

Made in 2013, it starred Tim Roth as Fifa’s controversial president Sepp Blatter, who has avoided arrest, alongside Gérard Depardieu – in the historical first half of the movie – as Jules Rimet, the longest-serving president whose name still adorns the World Cup.

New Zealand actor Sam Neill also appeared as João Havelange, Blatter’s predecessor and the president of Fifa through the 70s, 80s and 90s.

It was billed thusly: “An epic, untold story that brings to life the inspiring saga of the World Cup and the three determined men who created it. Driven by their vision and passion, three men, overcame their doubts and fought obstacles and scandals to make the World Cup a reality.”

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It was more than a little odd that such a self-congratulatory film would make it to production, and with such an illustrious cast too.

But it soon emerged that FIFA funded nearly all of the film’s £19 million production costs almost entirely, drawing criticism from many for spending almost the whole of some UEFA national association’s annual budgets.

It wasn’t the only thing it was criticized for, being slated as a 'glorified infomercial’ and even 'bizarre propaganda’.

British comedian John Oliver on his US show 'Last Week Tonight’, also took it apart.

“This movie, like Fifa itself, looks terrible,” he said.

“Who makes a sports film where the heroes are the executives?”

PR expert Mark Borkowski told the BBC when the first glimpse of the movie emerged: “It’s an appalling trailer. In a way it underlines the level to which Fifa’s reputation has gone.

“It’s idea porn, really. People in an organisation get very excited about something and, within their little bubble, they convince themselves that it’s brilliant.“

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Tim Roth admitted reservations, but considering he still appears on screen, they can’t have been too irksome.

He told The Times: “I was like: ‘Where’s all the corruption in the script?’ Where is all the back-stabbing, the deals?

“So it was a tough one. I tried to slide in a sense of it, as much as I could get in there.”

The film’s director Frederic Auburtin added that he inserted 'ironic parts’.

In light of the recent headlines, and with Fifa being accused of the widespread and historic cases of fraud, racketeering and money laundering spanning more than two decades, it could be that 'United Passions’ may now never see a proper release.

Judging by the trailer, maybe that’s a good thing.

Image credits: Reuters/Leuviah Films