L'Arbitre

I find this documentary to be an excellent example of a football/soccer film that deals with the human aspect. Most sport documentaries (I have seen) never get to the core, and usually get stuck on the sport itself, on a character or the specifics therein. This piece did not fall into that trap, instead it shows us what is really going on around this particular football referee and how his family and relatives are affected by his choices and "mistakes"... The last question by the narrator sticks in my mind, and you start to wonder what kind of people choose these kinds of professions. Ultimately a film for anyone who truly cares about football, on and off the pitch. Enjoy!

Human error are not often portrayed as well as in this rare documentary about the unforgiving profession of being a football referee. Perfection is a goal that absolutely no one can reach and imagine how boring it would be if all referees would be perfect. I suggest every serious football fan that feel they have been cheated at least once take a good look at this nice film about what a relatively small mistake can cost those involved. If the common man would know how his decisions affect his family and relatives I believe we would not have any referees left in this world. But we need them because football wouldn't work without them.

In this movie there is a journalist that mention the fact you must be able to critic the football referee when he makes a bad decision. I think in that statement lies the strength of this film because the referee also believe he should not go to the world cup if he makes a mistake. Which he does. A big one. The filmmakers meet him in very personal situations and also his family and despite the problems he has to survive he still believe that this is what he should do instead of being with his family. I fee after watching this film that referees are just like players and compete just like players. Before I saw the film I did not know that the competition was as strong between the referees. I am very happy to have seen this film and I look forward to more films that look a little deeper inside football and all the controversies around the game.

The life of a soccer referee is far, far away from that of the all-too-famous stars of the sport despite the fact that the referees are in the middle of it all. Mr. Hansson who stars in this documentary seems to involuntarily end up in the center of attention on a frequent basis. Whether his mistakes or need-to-be-seen is the driving force behind this is left to the viewer to make out. However one thing is certain about this film, the sport of soccer has lost its track of a game. On top level it has become something far more sophisticated and cynical. Money and politics seem to play far too much a part in this "sport" and the referees are just the tools for great Mafia-style associations like FIFA and UEFA. At the bottom of all this there is the referee, his family, relatives, friends and neighbors. They are all in one way or the other affected by what is going on but no one really seems to care. A truly insightful documentary to the topic of soccer refereeing. Beside the skillful portrait the dramaturgy plays an important and instrumental part in this film. Truly recommended.

Rettskiparen is an unusual sport documentary because it deals with the personal aspects of being a football referee on top level. Normally sport documentaries are not so keen on what is going on beneath the surface and focuses on the matches and the goals or the conflicts within the team or between players. Instead Rettskiparen deals with the personal sacrifice that Martin Hansson has to go through in order to be a referee. It works very well and is an interesting story from the beginning to end. I would not mind a one hour documentary but the character himself is maybe not interesting enough for that length, who knows? Overall a truly recommended film about a very lonely and idealistic man.