Andy-296 Review of Diamantes negros

Diamantes negros (2013)

Very well made Spanish film denounces unscrupulous trade in African footballers

[9/10 · 2 August 2014]

Enthralling Spanish film about two teenage African footballers who are brought from Mali to Madrid by a couple of unscrupulous agents for a tryout at Spanish clubs. Once they are tried by some clubs and it becomes clear that they are not that good as footballers (for top level football, at least), they are unceremoniously disposed by the agents and end up in the street with no money either to survive in an unfamiliar city or to go home (many more things happen in the film, so I'm not telling the ending with this). Very well made and acted, both by the professional Spanish actors playing the immoral scouts (special mention to Carlos Bardem and Carlo d'ursi) and by the amateur Africans playing the footballers.