Playing With Balls

Towards the end of Nanna Kristín Magnúsdóttir's film, we see a speech by Barack Obama, on the news in a sports hall, about how the world is moving forwards and gay and lesbian people need no longer endure life as second class citizens. Even in Iceland, it's a joyous thing to hear, but for the older women watching it, it speaks of a dramatically altered world. In times past, when such freedoms were unimaginable for many, sport often provided a refuge for lesbians as the stage did for gay men - a place where people were more accepting, where conventional femininity was less mandatory and where it was easier to meet prospective partners. Now that the decades have passed, the women have stopped playing with balls and moved on to cards, but community retains its importance.

What is it to be part of a community? Loyalty and fidelity become all the more important. Just as in sport, there are rules that must be followed. Winning by cheating leaves a sour taste. Getting one's hands on the prize cannot provide the anticipated satisfaction in the long term, when the thrill of the moment is over and guilt remains.

To have the right to live and love freely, should we be morally pure? If one must work hard to get results, for how long is that worthwhile, and can victory come too late? Magnúsdóttir asks difficult questions as the game goes on. She also reminds us of the erotic appeal of sport-shaped bodies through the medium of an impressively athletic orgasm.

In a neat nine minutes, we are reminded of how perspective is shaped by the passing of time, and how love in the present can never entirely undo the sins of the past.