Copa 71: Movie Review

Director: Rachel Ramsay, James Erskine

An amiable documentary that follows the story of the 1971 Women's World Cup, COPA 71 wants to give you enough ammunition to feel outrage.

And in truth, that's no bad thing - because the pioneering footballers who took place in the tournament, which saw some of the biggest crowds, have had their time in the sun unceremoniously wiped from sporting history.

The Mexico-held event and the lead up to it shows a shameful approach by FIFA and wider sections of the media who belittle and bully the women footballers, reducing them to sorry stereotypes of "tomboys" who are to be patted on the head and sent back to the kitchen.

But with the voices of the players from the teams amplified on screen and archive footage of the matches presented in a Match of the Day style highlights with insight from players, COPA 71 makes a strong argument for how pitiful the male ego is when the beloved football is threatened.

Yet, while directors Ramsay and Erskine assemble a terrific collage of moments and feelings from the time, they fall foul of never really getting any comment from FIFA - or even acknowledging they had tried to do so, leaving this documentary one of the many that has its own agenda to pursue.

It's a worthy agenda and an important one, and really the story sells itself thanks to a punchy run time (there's an irony that a doco about football is but 90 minutes long) and some great use of archive and current interviews.

Ultimately, Copa 71 tells an important story - and while things have changed slightly for the better in terms of women's football, the lack of accountability for past actions makes this piece as troubling as it is inspiring.