This Vietnamese show isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it definitely keeps you hooked. It’s a quick watch with 10 episodes that only last about 15 to 20 minutes each, and even though it uses all the usual BL tropes, it really works because you can't help but root for the underdog. The romance actually takes its time to show up and then wraps up pretty fast, but the characters still feel way more relatable than in a lot of other shows like this. The story follows Phuc, who moves from Hanoi to Saigon to open his dream bar and live with his girlfriend. Things go sideways immediately when he arrives a day early to surprise her and catches her cheating, so he breaks up with her and leaves. He ends up reaching out to his old childhood neighbors, Cong and his sister Han, who he hasn't seen in years. The siblings are struggling on their own with a massive debt and Han’s poor health. Han thinks her brother works at a convenience store, but Cong is actually a heavy for a criminal gro...
When Thomas was assaulted because of his sexuality, he has been seeking to include homophobic abuse in the 1991 Football Offences Act so it is dealt with in the same way as racism on the pitch. While he had already been lobbying for the change for years, he said the assault made him realise quite how harmful hate speech can be and it further spurred him on. The documentary starts with him trying to get an idea of history of using gay abuses and hurls towards both players and fans and how it was always considered ok and non-offensive. But times have changed. He goes into locker room and talks to both male and female teams about how they feel about the whole issue. He surprisingly sees lot of positive changes where players are a lot more open about having gay team members and sexuality should not stop a good player from showing their skills. Gareth eventually enlists the help of the UK's Parliament as he attempts to outlaw abuse in football stadiums. He also recruits Cardiff City, Leeds United and Norwich City football teams into his campaign to tackle homophobia in the boardroom, the dressing room and on the terraces. All of this while coping with being the victim of a violent homophobic attack himself.
At just under an hour, this documentary is a wonderful reminder of how even though we have progressed a lot, we are still way behind in many ways while we continue to evolve with LGBT+ rights in the sports industry. I liked that the subject is always focused and doesn't go too much into back story or sob story for no reason. It shows the effort that Gareth puts in to get a law passed (whether it happens or not is to be seen), but nonetheless it was a very informative documentary. He says he wants to create an environment where an openly gay footballer can walk into a club and know he is not going to receive abuse for his sexuality. (5.5/10)
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