From the first moment she kicked a ball, Marinette Pichon's life would revolve around soccer. Although her hometown in rural France didn't have a girls' team, her talent spoke for itself, and staying focused on the ball helped keep Marinette distracted from a toxic home life. As she ages out of the local boys' team she is spotted by a talent scout and invited to play for the national women's team. Her home life deteriorates as her career takes off, but since female soccer players weren't (and still aren't) recognized as professionals in France, there's a limit to how far she can go. Incensed by this injustice and tired of battling competitive teammates, she jumps at an exciting offer to sign with a professional team in Philadelphia, becoming the first French player to do so. Her life in the U.S. could not be more different — she can eat what she wants, and doesn't have to hide her sexuality.
Accompanied by a decade-appropriate electronic soundtrack, this energetic film traces the life of one of the best French soccer players of all time, and her lifelong struggle to be treated equally in a country to which she has given so much.––Frederic Boyer
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