The Black Meteor

De Zwarte Meteoor
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGuido Pieters
Written byTom Egbers (novel), Kees van Beijnum (screenplay)
Produced byMatthijs van Heijningen
CinematographyWouter Suijderhout
Edited byTatjana Schops
Distributed byRCV
Release date
  • 11 December 2000 (2000-12-11)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryNetherlands
LanguagesDutch
English
Afrikaans
Budget€2 million

The Black Meteor is a 2000 Dutch film directed by Guido Pieters. The film is based on the novel by Tom Egbers, a Dutch sports journalist, which was adapted for the screen by Kees van Beijnum. The novel fictionalizes the story of Steve Mokone, the first black player to play in a professional European league.

Plot

The movie is set in the 1950s, when soccer club SC Heracles from Almelo, in the rural east of the Netherlands, acquires an African player. Steve Mokone makes Heracles a successful team, while changing every aspect of life in the small city. Mokone builds a unique friendship with the 15-year-old Felix, but then leaves town as quickly as he came.

Reception

Scott Foundas, writing for Variety, was not overly positive, criticizing its "holier-than-thou coming of age/race relations" quality.[1]

Cast

References

  1. ^ Foundas, Scott (2001-07-23). "Rev. of The Black Meteor". Variety.