Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006) is an art film installation and collaboration by filmmakers Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno.
The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) today proudly unveiled a film screening and art exhibition on the talent, focus and skill of legendary French footballer Zinédine Zidane. The unveiling took place in the presence of the President of the Asian Football Confederation Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa; Minister of Sports and Youth Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Thani; Chief Executive officer of Qatar Museums Authority, Mr. Mohammed Saad Al-Rumaihi; QOSM President Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani; Vice President of the Qatari Football Association Mr. Mohammed Khalifa Al Suwaidi; Members of the QOSM Advisory committee Mr. Issa Abdullah Al-Hitmi, Mr. Salman Abdullah Abdul Ghani Al Abdul Ghani, and Mr. Salem Saeed Al-Muhannadi; and Director of QOSM Mr. Abdulla Yousuf Al Mulla.
The art film installation will feature ‘Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006)’, a 90-minute film directed by Douglas Gordan & Philippe Parreno that will be screened all day during museum opening hours at the E4 Gallery, Multipurpose Hall in QOSM starting from February 1st to August 1st, 2024. The film follows the French football star Zinédine Zidane in real time and highlights the Spanish La Liga match between Real Madrid and Villareal at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on April 23, 2005, from the perspective of football superstar Zinedine Zidane.
Assembled from footage shot by seventeen synchronised cameras placed around the stadium, the film captures Zidane from multiple angles, from up close and afar, and remains steadfastly fixed on him even when the central action of the match moves elsewhere. This new visualisation of the footage engages visitors with the choreography of a football match, immersing them in a precisely orchestrated sight and sound experience, delivering a 360-degree perspective of Zidane and his field of play.
“We are very pleased to launch this audio and visual experience on French footballer Zinédine Zidane during the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, in celebration of the spirit of football.”, said Chief Executive officer of Qatar Museums Mohammed Saad Al Rumaihi.
“This artistic film installation relentlessly captures Zidane’s precision, elegance, focus and charisma in real time from multiple angles, which also includes a symphony of sound featuring a variety of ambiences, ranging from Zidane’s inner voice & breathing to the sounds from the pitch.”, said the Museum President Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani.
The soundtrack of ‘Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006)’ film is by the Scottish rock band, Mogwai, and includes a voiceover by Zidane. The film has successfully captured Zidane from multiple perspectives to show the many facets of an exceptional athlete, while documenting the psychological complexity of the player, as well as his physical grace, poise, and resilience. The multi-screen format of the artwork also reflects the mass-broadcasting of images of celebrity athletes.
