How Long Is “The Offsiders”?

A former athlete seek a second chance in life through the game he abandoned years ago in this drama from Poland. Jacek (Marcin Dorocinski) used to be a talented soccer player who had earned a position on the national team. But when a serious injury put Jacek's career on hold, his life fell apart; he developed a serious drinking problem, his wife left him, and he was beaten up by toughs. Now homeless, Jacek spends his days panhandling in a rail station in Warsaw, where he becomes friends with a handful of other down-and-outers. One of Jacek's new comrades tells him about the Homeless World Cup, an international football tournament designed to give marginalized citizens a chance to prove their talent through sport. When his friends learn that Jacek was once a rising star on the soccer field, they convince him to coach the local homeless soccer team, and as this handful of alcoholics and addicts begin to respond to Jacek's leadership, he regains the self-respect and sense of purpose he lost when he had to quit the game. Directed by Kasia Adamik, Boisko Bezdomnych (aka The Offsiders) also stars Rafal Fudalej, Marek Kalita and Piotra Jagielski.