ZAGREB, May 20, 2018 – “Vatreni”, a documentary film directed by Edson Ramirez, was presented at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema. The Mexican director tells the story of Croatia’s national football team and its journey to the bronze medal at the 1998 World Cup in France.
The film was independently produced and describes Croatia’s independence, the historic and social context in which the national team emerged and managed to win the bronze medal in France.
“As a boy, I followed Croatian athletes, firstly football players and then later basketball player Toni Kukoč in the Chicago Bulls. I also watched Croatian athletes at the Olympic Games in Barcelona. I knew there was a war in your country. I watched your players at the World Cup in France and how they bravely walked out onto the pitch and played some unbelievable football, and maybe even then I got the idea to make this film about them,” Ramirez said.
Croatia’s national coach of the so-called “Vatreni” team, Miroslav Ćiro Blažević recalled those events of more than 20 years ago. “It is difficult to explain my emotions when I recall France ’98. Whenever I have any problems I recall those brilliant days in France and then I immediately feel better. We enthralled our fans with our play and affirmed our country and players to the whole world. Hardly anyone had ever heard then of Boban, Šuker, Prosinečki…” he said.
The film’s executive producer is Blažević’s son Miroslav junior who said that the film contains footage that has never been seen until now. “Making this film was an unbelievable process. We have some footage from FIFA’s archives that has never been shown and our players disclosed some information in the film that they’ve never said before,” Blažević junior said.
The film will be shown from May 24 to June 13 at Kaptol Boutique Cinema and CineStar cinemas in Zagreb, Rijeka, Osijek and Split.
All the proceeds from the film will go to the Kolibrić association for treatment of children suffering from spinal muscle atrophy.
