by Roxanne Lewis. Sub-edited by Isabel Meszaros
The 2022 documentary – FIFA Uncovered is an exposition to a whole new world of sports politics and power dynamics.
Directed by Daniel Gordon, the feature is about the investigation carried out by the US Department of Justice into FIFA in 2015. It follows the narrative of the US Department of Justice and their revelations to the world about FIFA’s involvement in corruption, racketeering and wire fraud.
The four episodes include archival arrest footage of the top authorities in FIFA, interviews of stakeholders, pictures of confidential documents, audio recordings, clippings of the newspaper headlines, and other supporting visuals. This material, pieced together, gave me a well-structured story of what was happening behind FIFA’s closed doors.
The information presented is based on the testimonials of the interviewees. The editing is well sequenced and the narrative stands neutral. There is an unbiased technique of storytelling that allows for both sides to have their say.
The turbulent history of FIFA, the affected victims – trapped in the webs of conspiracy, the administration structure and the voting system are covered as well.
Two standout discourses – monopolistic sponsorships and sports washing – were particularly informative to me. There is a deep dive, explaining how sponsorships came into FIFA and thus, turned it into a commercial business.
The interviews taken by the Netflix producers seem to be researched and well questioned, but in some instances, efforts were not visible. During the interview with Hassan Al-Thawadi, the Secretary General for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Local Organizing Committee, the reporter was vague in his questioning. When asked by Al-Thawadi about the specifics of the allegations, the reporter stuttered, implying unpreparedness and thus resulting in loss of argument.
After completing the documentary, I thought, ‘Who is really in control of this narrative?’ In an interview clip, Vladimir Putin quotes, “This is another obvious attempt of the US to extend its jurisdiction to other countries.” This half answered my question.
From watching this documentary, I learnt about piecing information together using visual sources instead of verbal. Additionally, the producers trying to stand on middle ground by giving several involved individuals to voice their opinion, stayed with me.
To conclude, as a learning journalist, it is a good watch to comprehend how sports business and politics work at the high level. The narrative approach and the editing styles incorporated prove that a nuanced story can be converted into a thrilling binge-session.