Forever Pure

Fans can hold power over the future of a club they support. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. They do pay a lot and they do put a lot of heart and passion into that past time. But in this special case, we got a really bad example of the wrong people having a say. The ones that are racist that is. And all gets captured in this documentary.

Now whatever made this possible (luck, fate, foresight of the guy documenting the football club?), it is really devastating to watch. Obviously you can't paint every fan with one brush, but the hardcore fan base seems to have gone the way those went that hate jews. The amount of racism is horrible and if you are a positive person you may have problems watching something like this. There may also be moments you lose faith in humanity ... It's crazy ... because it's real

'Forever Pure' tells a depressing story: an Israeli football club, famous for its racist supporters, signs two Muslim players; and the fans boycott the team. Eventually, those associated with the signing move on; and the player who most identifies with the fans' cause becomes the new captain. Ultimately, football is a business; without other incentives, you can't make money by upsetting your customers. The undertone here, of course, is that in polarised Israeli society, the notion of ethnic purity might have an appeal that stretches far beyond the terraces. As a documentary, there's nothing extraordinary about this film; its power comes in the sad but clear view of reality it presents.