“A compelling exploration of a subculture… with intoxicating visuals”. Film is an insider’s depiction of the rich and diverse culture of extreme football fanatics, or “ultras”.

Ultras are the beating heart of football – supporters who see themselves as the team’s 12th player and dedicate themselves entirely to their club, bringing vibrant energy and atmosphere to the football stands. A constant headache for law enforcement, ultras have the potential for political influence that provokes authorities worldwide. Football fan culture is an ongoing subject of debate, but it is also a subcultural mega-phenomenon that both reflects and influences the societies in which it exists across the globe. In this unique new documentary feature, director Ragnhild Ekner showcases ultras from Argentia to Indonesia, Morocco to Italy, in total covering eight countries across four continents. This isn’t a critical review, it’s a tribute.

Director’s statement: “football culture – an eternal topic for debate, a constant headache for the law. A subcultural mega-phenomenon that both reflects and influences its various social contexts around the globe. The beating heart of football. From the curves on the short end of the arena the ultras create an electric energy, a huge force, with their chants and choreographies. With my film I want to make the broad spectra of people on the terraces proud of what they are a part of. Give all those who see the stands as their second home a confirmation that they are part of something big and powerful, something worldwide and society-changing, something interesting and meaningful. And create curiosity, contribute with an ounce of complexity to those who want to challenge their view of the phenomenon. In a polarized time, the football stand offers an unprecedented meeting place. It sounds as a cliché, but there we unite for our club despite differences in the other arenas of life. A joint invention that breaks boundaries and blows up barriers. There is also a balancing act between the constructive and the destructive, the balancing act where many of us feel most alive. Where else would we go, without this chance to ventilate? There, a small world of it’s own is created within the big one, a world where it is the ultras who set the agenda and have the power. It’s about the force of the collective, and finding power and meaning in one’s life through a subcultural context. I wanted to make a film for football supporters to recognize themselves in. This isn’t a critical review, it’s a tribute.”