case study COACH

COACH
by Liam McGrath
Producer: Trisha Canning
SETANTA TV
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COACH
Length:
5 x 25’
Director:
Liam McGRATH
Producers:
Trisha CANNING – SETANTA TV
Thomas KUFUS – ZERO FILM
Photography:
Editing:
Sound:
Liam McGRATH, John T. DAVIS
Mick MAHON
Liam McGRATH, Dupuy FATAL
Format:
Original Languages:
DV
English
Delivery:
2004
Coproducer:
ZERO FILM
Distributor:
All3 media
Festivals:
Cork Film Festival
Chicago Irish Film Festival
SUMMARY
Sport in school is more than just a subject, for teachers it is more than just a class. For some students it is
the only thing they are good at. It is their hope for college, for success, for recognition. Coaches are more
than trainers, they are parent figures, role models and guardians.
“Coach” is a 5 x 25” series looking at the lives of three New York high school coaches, their schools and
their students. We see the students strive for victory and what it means to them.
SOCCER
Martin Jacobson, ex-heroin addict and soccer coach, he takes African kids into his school to teach them life
lessons as well as soccer lessons.
BASKETBALL
Larry Major, single father to a three year old boy, he also minds a school full of Afro-American kids. A
quiet, intelligent man, he is the opposite of his new employee, Todd Myles. Todd is a young hot-headed
coach. He swears all the time, and tries to get his students motivated by yelling. He feels they are not trying
hard enough.
ATHLETICS
Natasha Hastings is a talented young athlete with a bright future. Already she has broken high school
records. This Winter she has to chose between running for her school team and running for her country.
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COACH
To get a good education in America, you need a lot of money. For the kids who find themselves in
New York’s failing public school system, sport can be one way out of the ghetto. Coaches act as
mentors and guides during the season when the stakes are high and difference between winning and
losing can be the difference between all or nothing. COACH charts the highs and extreme lows of a
High School season in New York when players, coaches and parents fight for their part of that elusive
American dream.
Coach weaves the stories of two schools, three coaches and their teams into a powerful real life drama.
Coach Jake
Jake (Martin Jacobson) is an eloquent, charismatic person, who talks a mile a minute and doesn’t do
anything by half. Soccer is his first love. For him if soccer is not life, it is at least what makes life
worth living.
Jake is facing into a new season with deteriorating health. His hepatitis, contracted while a heroin
addict, is getting worse and he should take treatment. However, he is more concerned with his new
batch of youngsters, kids from Ghana, Jamaica, Peru who have found themselves in New York.
This year, newcomers Fadiga and Maurice, add further pressure to Jake’s already strained year.
Ibrahima Fadiga, from Ghana lives in a group home for homeless kids. All through the off-season he
has been fighting with Jake, an attitude problem says Jake. Maurice Johnson is the goalscorer and a
rival of Fadiga. He lives with his doting mother and sisters. His bad temper leads to brawls and
disputes and his championship ends in hospital.
Coach Major
Paul Robeson High School, is a lower middle class, Afro-American school in Brooklyn. Coach Larry
Major is trying to look after his three year old son while trying to teach and break in a new coach. He
is also trying to keep his students out of trouble. The students hang out on the streets of the Brooklyn
suburbs. Trouble is never very far away.
Basil is a junior in the school. His lack of discipline and respect results in his suspension from the
team. At first Basil doesn’t seem to care, but he soon realises that basketball is the one thing that
centres him. He has to deal with the Major if he’s to be allowed back on the team.
Coach Myles________________________________
Todd Myles is a former pupil of Larry Major. He had genuine prospects for a professional basketball
career that were abruptly ended by a back injury. He has started teaching high school under the
supervision of Larry. The two personalities could not be more opposite. Larry is a quiet, reflective
figure of authority. Todd is a hot headed, bad-mouthed, aggressive person who believes his students
need to be harassed into any kind of achievement. Todd’s methods of coaching are confined to yelling
and swearing at his young charges to try and drag the best performance out of them. Todd does not
believe in backing down. Black people always make excuses, he says, that’s the problem. This time,
he won’t make excuses.
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COACH
En Amérique, il faut beaucoup d'argent pour recevoir une bonne éducation. Pour les enfants qui se
retrouvent dans l'enseignement public défaillant de New York, le sport peut être une façon de sortir du
ghetto. Les Coaches servent de mentors et de guides pendant la saison sportive au cours de laquelle les
enjeux sont élevés et la différence entre victoire et échec peut s'avérer la différence entre tout ou rien.
COACH consigne les hauts et les extrêmement bas d'une saison sportive du secondaire à New York au
cours de laquelle les joueurs, les coaches et les parents se disputent leur part de ce fugace rêve
américain.
Coach est un reportage réalité magistral où s'entrecroisent les histoires de deux écoles, de trois coaches
et de leurs équipes.
Coach Jake
Jake (Martin Jacobson) est un homme éloquent, charismatique qui parle à toute vitesse et se donne à
fond dans tout ce qu'il entreprend. Le football est son premier amour. Pour lui si le football n'est pas la
vie, c'est du moins ce qui lui donne la peine d'être vécue.
Jake affronte une nouvelle saison avec une santé défaillante. Son hépatite, contractée à l'époque où il
était héroïnomane empire et il devrait suivre un traitement. Cependant, il s'inquiète davantage pour son
nouveau contingent de jeunes, des gosses du Ghana, de Jamaïque, du Pérou qui se retrouvent à New
York.
Cette année, les nouveaux arrivants Fadiga et Maurice, ajoutent des pressions supplémentaires à une
année déjà éprouvante pour Jake. Ibrahima Fadiga, originaire du Ghana vit dans un foyer pour les
enfants sans domicile fixe. Pendant toute la durée de la basse saison, il s'est heurté Jake, il a des
problèmes relationnels selon Jake. Maurice Johnson est le buteur et un rival de Fadiga. Il vit avec sa
mère et ses soeurs qui lui vouent une admiration sans borne. Son mauvais caractère donne lieu à des
bagarres et à des disputes et son championnat se termine à l'hôpital.
Coach Major
Le lycée Paul Robeson, est un établissement de la petite bourgeoisie afro-américaine à Brooklyn. Le
Coach Larry Major tente de s'occuper de son fils de trois ans tout en enseignant et en formant un
nouveau coach. Il essaye également de maintenir ses étudiants hors d'ennuis. Les étudiants traînent
dans les rues des banlieue de Brooklyn. Les ennuis ne sont jamais bien loin.
Basil est en première. Son manque de discipline et de respect lui valent d'être suspendu de l'équipe.
Tout d'abord, Basil semble s'en moquer, mais il réalise rapidement que le basket est la seule chose qui
le cadre. Pour réintégrer l'équipe, il doit faire face à Major.
Coach Myles________________________________
Todd Myles est un ancien élève de Larry Major. Une blessure au dos a brusquement mis fin à de
sérieux espoirs de devenir basketteur professionnel. Il a commencé à enseigner au lycée sous la
direction de Larry. Rien ne pourrait opposer davantage ces deux personnalités. Larry est un symbole
d'autorité calme et réfléchi. Todd est impulsif, négatif, agressif et pense que le harcèlement est le seul
moyen d'obtenir des résultats de ses étudiants. Les méthodes d'entraînement de Todd se réduisent à des
hurlements et à des insultes destinés à ses jeunes élèves afin d'en tirer les meilleurs résultats. Todd
refuse de battre en retraite. Les noirs s'excusent toujours dit-il, c'est ça le problème. Cette fois, il ne
présentera pas d'excuses.
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Liam McGrath - Director
Liam is one of Ireland’s foremost documentary directors whose work includes feature films,
documentaries, short films and music videos. Liam trained with filmmaker John T. Davis. In 2005 he
directed and produced the series Naked Camera with his own company, Scratch Films.
Directing credits include;
Seven Days, an hour long documentary featuring the acclaimed Brazilian author (The Alchemist) Paulo
Coelho.
Southpaw, feature length film on the Irish traveller and boxer Francis Barrett for Ch4 and the Irish
Film Board. Released theatrically in Britain, Ireland and the USA. Selected for exhibition at the
Sundance film festival. Award winner at San Sebastian.
Boys for Rent, Male Rape, the acclaimed short documentary for the Irish Film Board/RTE.
Home, six part series on house buying for RTE.
Ahead of the Class - a one-hour film.
Saving Souls and A Night Out from the series Boom Town an alternative look at life in Dublin, for
RTE.
Trisha Canning - Producer
Trisha is one of Ireland’s most experienced television practitioners. She worked for six years for
Setanta Television, producing, among others, the sports series Breaking Ball, the documentaries
Marooned and The Rod Squad and live events such as Witnness live and the Entrepreneur of the Year
awards. In the beginning of 2005 she was part of the management team who took over Setanta
Television which has become Motive. Motive is currently producing an 8 part, multicultural travel
series for RTE.
www.motive.ie
Tel: + 353 1 415 1247
Mob: + 353 86 8211595
Guinness Entreprise Centre
Taylor’s Lane
Dublin 2
Ireland.
FINANCING PLAN
NDR / ARTE
280 000,00 €
TOTAL
280 000,00 €
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