Just an ordinary Saturday in Montreal on an outdoor basketball court. Mustafa Uzuner filmed here for four years as this ever-evolving group of men try to get the ball into the hoop. His lively and sensual portrait captures a diverse community that changes along with the colorfully painted court. Uzuner himself describes his film as “a diary of place, stories of people and games or maybe also diaries of skies.”
This is no typical sports film: victory and defeat are not the subject of La cancha (The Court). Uzuner’s handheld camera does however capture the rhythm of the game and the movements of the players. The motile, free and unstable shots make us participants in the games and the friendships played out here. Sometimes we hear snatches of conversations as the camera swings upwards to the clouds above.
The fenced boundary of the court and the rules make this a place of sanctuary—where life outside can be forgotten for a while. The film captures the very essence of a balmy summer evening.
Stills
