http://unprofessionalfoul.com/2011/07/2 ... -match-64/
[quote]The first movie screened was a short film called Rättskiparen (The Referee) which followed infamous official Martin Hansson as he sought appointment to the 2010 World Cup through the fateful night in Paris when he missed Thierry Henry’s handball and unwittingly eliminated the Irish.
What was amazing was that the filmmakers, including director Mattias Löw, were already following the referee for a look at the mind and life of a top flight official, when the incident Hansson will forever be linked with occurred.
Reshaping the film to highlight the blown call, what emerges is a very complicated, and honestly a little bit disturbing picture of Hansson’s life.
The film does its best to stay objective, but as Löw stated at the Q+A later in the evening, it’s hard to stay neutral when covering a subject that readily admits he chose his refereeing aspirations over his family. Hansson was divorced in 2008 and sees his 2 sons every other weekend.
We know that referees give up their privacy and must be able to deal with constant criticism but the lengths to which Hansson goes to seek (and despite his blunder ultimately gain) an assignment at the World Cup in South Africa are a bit shocking.
At times I felt terrible for Hansson and others I found his sacrifices bordering on stupidity. The film does well to allow the viewer to make up their own mind about the film’s final line: “Was it worth it?â€
A Film About Henry's Handball Ref
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