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The Dispatch
May 12 - 18, 2000
By Entertainment Desk
Yellow Card is not just a film. It is a conversation starter, a mirror held up to the lives of young people across Africa, and a thoroughly enjoyable piece of cinema all at once.
The story of Tiyane, a talented young footballer who must navigate the minefield of teenage love and its consequences, will resonate with anyone who has ever been young and made mistakes. And that means all of us.
Director John Riber, who spent two years researching adolescent attitudes to sex and relationships across Zimbabwe before writing the script, has crafted a story that feels completely authentic. The characters talk like real teenagers, make real mistakes and face real consequences.
The film's great strength is its refusal to take sides. Tiyane is neither hero nor villain. He is a confused young man whose hormones are running faster than his good sense. Linda is not simply a victim. Juliet is not simply a prize to be won. Every character has depth and complexity.
The football sequences deserve special mention. They are exciting, well-choreographed and serve as a perfect metaphor for the game of life that Tiyane is playing so recklessly.
Yellow Card should be compulsory viewing in every secondary school in Africa. But do not let that put you off. It is also a cracking good film.
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