No Goal for Girls

Two weeks ago, I trekked out to Frisco with a small soccer, er, futbol-lovin' posse to watch Oduro, Gbandi, Toja and the rest of the FC Dallas smoke out Real Salt Lake with two of the sweetest goals this season. We cheered. Loudly. We ate elote and hot dogs. Drank some beer even. We girls walked into the stadium in girl clothes. We stood in concession lines with our purses. We cheered octaves higher than our penised brethren. We weren't hassled even the slightest bit. As portrayed in Jafar Panahi's Offside, the ladies of Iran, however, are flat-out barred from stadiums thanks to the Islamic Republic. Banned in Iran, Offside (filmed at an actual match in Tehran) follows a group of girls determined to get into a pivotal World Cup qualifying match by disguising themselves as boys. (Several are found out and subsequently arrested.) Panahi ably uses a sporting event to depict social injustice plaguing the country, but with enough humor to make it shockingly realistic. Offside is screened as part of the Magnolia at the Modern series Friday through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St. For showtimes and details, call 1-866-824-5566 or visit themodern.org.
June 1-3