The Team

Following the fraudulent 2007 elections in Kenya, ethnic conflict broke out in this formerly stable nation. Supporters of the main candidates - Kibaki, a Kikuyu, and Odinga, a Luo, the tribe to which Barack Obama's father also belonged - clashed over the disputed result. Fifteen hundred Kenyans died and more than half a million ended up homeless. Kofi Annan mediated a settlement, and it seemed that peace had returned. But to many people it was clear that this country - with its many different tribes and ethnic groups, each with its own interests - was a powder keg that could easily go off again. The soap opera The Team sought to address a younger audience on the subject. The makers created a cast with representatives of as many sections of society as possible. The storylines, which concern the ups and downs of a mixed football team, sought to spark a dialogue about Kenyan society in general and the risks of tribalism in particular. In the documentary of the same name, director Patrick Reed intersperses scenes about the making of the series with interviews with the actors, the producer, the scriptwriter, the director and the cameraman. The relevance of their mission is brought into sharp focus when tragedy strikes. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)