Screening for the first time in Germany at Berlin's daadgalerie as a two-channel projection, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait was created by artists Douglas Gordon & Philippe Parreno as a spare, cinematic examination of French footballer Zinedine Zidane. Tracking Zizou's every move with 17 cameras throughout a 90-minute Spanish-league match in April 2005, Gordon and Parreno scrutinize their protagonist in close-up shots, only occasionally panning out to fan's-eye and aerial views. This isolated narrative is overlaid with fragmentary subtitles drawn from conversations with the player, and accompanied by a layered musical score featuring Mogwai, Zidane's breathing and shouts, and the stadium's roar. Resembling a dreamlike Velázquez, Gordon and Parreno's portrayal of the impenetrable and elusive athlete paints him as a 21st-century tragic hero.

-Sarah Stephenson