The Beautiful Game Challenges Gender Norms, Homophobia, and Violence

Hello, Women for One Community!

Danny Turken’s “The Beautiful Game” is an incredible documentary, set in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa, where incredible female athletes who are pursuing the sport they love – soccer – as a force for social change.  These inspiring women aren’t just challenging gender stereotypes and biases, they are combating homophobia and discrimination for women, worldwide. We are so grateful that these women have the courage to stand up and tell their story in such an authentic and powerful way. Please go to Kickstarter to support this amazing cause. Women For One did!

A Kickstarter campaign is currently under way to begin editing and post-production for the documentary film, The Beautiful Game. The movie tells a story about the impact of soccer on women in South Africa– who use their love for the sport to challenge gender discrimination, homophobia, gender-based violence and deep rooted cultural stereotyping– and demonstrate soccer soccer’s ability to transcend all boundaries and create change in the world.

The Beautiful Game follows the City Lads Ladies soccer team– based out of Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape– specifically focusing on five of their players, Nowie, Ngwenya, Shuffle, Chika and Amy. All of the women have endured painful and troubling pasts, including “corrective rape,” physical abuse, poverty and HIV-related deaths. Yet, these athletes represent the women who strive and survive not only throughout the country, but also throughout the world, as they organize and play in soccer leagues and pursue the belief that the sport they love can be a force for social change.

“I love football because it has helped me bounce-back in life when I lost my mom. At that moment I thought I lost everything in this world, and soccer has stopped me from giving up,” says Shuffle, a Defender for the team.

The incredible athletes play not only for the love of the game, but also for the dream that it may help liberate women throughout the world from rape, violence and severe social prejudices. The Beautiful Game explores how the women battle gender norms, homophobia and discrimination in a society that believes that “football makes you lesbian.”

“A lot of women soccer players are being killed because they say, ‘We’ll show you that you are a woman,'” says Titie, a veteran player.

According to Director/Producer, Danny Turken, “Our goal is to reach as many people as possible. The Beautiful Game is more than an exhilarating soccer documentary. It’s a catalyst for motivating social change– it’s a call to action.”

With an award-winning team including Executive Producers, Oscar nominated and multi-Emmy award-winner Sam Pollard and W. Wilder Knight, Outreach Producer, Dollena Campbell as well as a long list of partners, including Women’s Soccer United and Grassroot Soccer and international athlete Ambassadors, Qiana Martin, Johanna Lohman and André Akpan, The Beautiful Game is clearly on its way into our hearts and hopefully onto the big screen.

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The Beautiful Game has less than three weeks to reach their goal. For more information and if you wish to make a contribution, please donate at this link: