How To Grow A Footballer - Behind The Scenes At The PSG Academy
Hot on the heels of “Concrete Football”, Netflix’s now iconic documentary on Parisian street football, Hugo Bembi and Yard’s latest project has a softer, lighter touch. “The Garden” is a fly-on-the-wall look at Paris Saint-Germain’s under-19 squad and their world of perfect isolation.
Part exploration of the academy’s values and part teenage video diary, the film seamlessly transitions from the stiff, professional world of the academy’s staff-members, to the players’ boyish changing room antics and their familial bond, producing the touching record of one generation’s passing.
Throughout the film, you get an overwhelming sense of entering a special place. This is an environment designed with nothing but the young players’ wellbeing at its core, from the gamekeeper’s immaculate turf to the Nike pencil-cases the boys take into class. Much like the precious grass, these players are nurtures with extraordinary care and attention.
It’s when the camera catches the glance of a player on the field that you realise that they feel this special atmosphere too, and how much it means to them. There are few boys in the country who don’t dream of taking their place in the team, making for an immense pressure. What’s more, the path of their entire adult life is drawn out ahead of them should they succeed, but should they fail, the fall from grace is a long one.
Despite the unavoidable pressure and the impressive professionalism of the youth players, the film comes to life when it picks out their boyishness and lingering signs of childhood. Burgeoning stars like Adile Aouchiche and Kays Ruiz may already have hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, when an intense but playful debate breaks out between two sides in training for instance, you can’t help but think back to the childish playground fights that would erupt after a controversial win.
Many viewers will be yearning to discover the season’s outcomes, to watch goal replays and share in the team’s progress throughout the season, but in a way, Bembi does well to overcome that narrative trap.
Instead, “The Garden” is a thoughtful portrayal of the transition from boyhood to manhood of a group of young people for whom the stakes are a whole lot higher than most.
You can watch “The Garden” for free on Youtube at the link below.
