This documentary is one outstanding example of recent hype in sport films.
Despite its often slow-pace, it is sharp and focused. Compared to its peers that deal only with the famous and handsome, it manages to illustrate "what lies beneath" the glorious tip of the football iceberg.
It is an unusual and provoking documentary because it does not feature any high-flyers of the game. Rather than lionizing success tales, it is interested in telling the stories of nascent careers. It trails the ups and downs in the lives of young players who aim but eventually fail to "make it" one day. Indeed this is the chief achievement of this documentary. It also forcefully illustrates young players' dilemmas- what they had to sacrifice for football such as school, family, home, and girlfriends. Parents and coaches of young players should make their kids and players watch this documentary with a keen eye.
On a different note this documentary tells something about the universal life and globalizing world of football. It is interesting that two main characters are international and the other two are multiethnic Germans. Two players from two different continents find themselves in the cold, lonely, and arduous camps of Dortmund dreaming of fame and money. It is a hope for ethnic Germans to receive recognition and success in the German society. As such it is a must-see for many who aspire to be the next Turkbas, Mehmet Scholl or Altintop Brothers of German Football. It is another testimony to the Simon Kuper's view that football is never only a game.