Open Field

"These women didn't just win American championships, they continued to conquer the world, despite the obstacles and setbacks." - Kathy Kuras

As part of our coverage of the Austin Film Festival we were able to discover the documentary Open field. This one turns out to be a successful invitation to discover American women's soccer and how it has managed to impose itself in a male universe very followed and appreciated by Americans. Told through the words of the legendary quarterback Sami Grisafe (assistant coach of the San Francisco 49ers), Katie Sowers and other women pioneers of American soccer, Open field is fascinating and gives a new insight into the most popular sport in the United States.

Equally exciting are some of the leading coaches and players who are working for a more inclusive future for soccer, including Kyle Shanahan, head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Franco Harris, the legendary Pittsburgh Steeler and Hall of Famer, and John Konecki, head coach of Team USA and the Chicago Force. Open Field tells the story of these women who leave everything on the field in their quest for greatness, to gain public recognition and respect.

Growing up, Sami Grisafe was captain and first female quarterback of her Division 1 high school soccer team, and went on to be a three-time champion and MVP quarterback for Team USA. Victory was easy for Sami. Opening the field to a new generation of players was a whole different ball game. Open Field follows Sami and her teammates as they hit hard and win championship after championship.

Yet, even at the top of their game, these players face obstacles that no male NFL player has ever faced, as this excellent documentary shows so well. Gender stereotypes are numerous and show that elite sport is not a world that is easy to understand and, above all, full of inequalities. Whether it is the lack of funding and sponsorship, the absence of a unified league, or even no awareness or recognition in a nation otherwise obsessed with soccer, Open Field paints a perfectly mastered picture of current American soccer and the fact that the sport should also give equal importance to equally successful women on the field.

The women in this documentary have charted a path that did not exist before and have created a movement, made up of women and men, who are rewriting the playbook to bring women into the game. Open Field will profoundly change the way you see professional American soccer and what is truly a champion. Kathy Kuras' direction proves to be perfectly mastered and by relying on various testimonies, photos, anecdotes gives this film a very special aura. We come out totally conquered by Open Field and we can only advise you in the hope that it will soon be broadcasted on video or on streaming platforms such as Prime Video or Netflix.

Open Field
Directed by Kathy Kuras
Produced by Kathy Kuras, John Alexander
Written by Lyndsay Hailey
Starring Sami Grisafe, Franco Harris, Katie Sowers
Music by Eren Cannata, Sami Grisafe, Koil Preample
Cinematography: Avi Zarum
Edited by John Alexander
Running time: 83 minutes

Seen on October 27, 2020 (online access Austin Film Festival)

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