Turning Tide Productions

Nationally Broadcast on Free Speech TV

Directed by Robbie Leppzer

Produced by Daniel Botkin

Music By Flor de Caña, Huayacaltía,
and Peter Chandler

A Turning Tide Production

28 minutes • DVD or VHS

FUTBOLITO: A Journey Through Central America is the video chronicle of five North American athletes who traveled through Guatemala and Nicaragua waging peace with a popular new foot game known as footbag, or “Hacky Sack.”.

The documentary follows a troupe of footbag players from their training camp in rural New England through a two-month journey across Central America. Traveling from village to village, members of the troupe play footbag in town squares, meeting Central Americans of all ages. The video shows the excitement and joy generated by this game, nicknamed el futbolito, or “little soccer ball” in Spanish, by its new Central American enthusiasts.

FUTBOLITO celebrates the unique power of people-to-people diplomacy, through the sharing of a cooperative game, to overcome cultural stereotypes and political barriers. The video illustrates the universal language of play as a medium for initiating friendship, as the North Americans encounter soldiers, war widows, athletes, and children. This documentary also offers a unique glimpse into the harsh realities of Central American life, while affirming the undefeatable spirit that prevails even in the midst of hardship and war.

FUTBOLITO stands as an inspiring example of the role young people can play as emissaries in the quest for world peace.

REVIEWS

        "FUTBOLITO shows how a simple game can break the ice between people who speak different languages and have different cultural traditions. This film about down-to-earth peacemaking sends a positive, constructive message to young people everywhere."
       —David Conrad, Professor of Education; Co-Director, Center for World Education,
             University of Vermont

        "FUTBOLITO presents a compelling portrait of cross-cultural communication. The idea that games can serve as a bridge between cultures has immediate appeal to young people. The film was inspirational for my beginning Spanish students. It contributed to their development of a sense of the ultimate purpose of language learning. I highly recommend FUTBOLITO for use in middle school and high school classrooms."
       —Beth Rubin, social studies and Spanish teacher, Serramonte High School,
          Daly City, CA

"FUTBOLITO received an enthusiastic response from my students. I can foresee using this video in a multicultural curriculum that emphasizes commonalities while valuing differences. Our physical education program would also benefit from the inclusion of this video, which portrays a game like footbag in the context of a cultural bridge and cooperative effort."
—Kirsten Lindblom, 6th grade teacher, Marks Meadow School, Amherst, MA

RECOMMENDED SUBJECT AREAS

Latin American Studies • Central America • Spanish • Multicultral Education • Sports Education • Anthropology • Sociology • Peace Studies • Politics of Peace and Conflict • Contemporary Social Movements • Human Rights • Social Change • Philosophy of Nonviolence • Documentary Film Studies

FUTBOLITO: A JOURNEY THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA
28 minutes • DVD or VHS

English and Spanish with English voice-over and subtitles.

Purchase Price
• Institutions (Colleges and Universities) - $199
• Community Organizations
(Public Libraries, High Schools, and Community Groups) - $99

• ORDERING INFORMATION

• Download TURNING TIDE VIDEO CATALOG (PDF)

See Related Videos:

HARVEST OF PEACE

COLUMBUS DIDN'T DISCOVER US

A HERITAGE WITHIN