The term “bankable” refers to an actor's ability to guarantee, simply by appearing in the credits, that a significant number of viewers will attend a film's screenings. Regardless of the role or the quality of the acting, the star's image on screen is enough to generate interest in the film. By appearing in the media as abruptly as it did intensively, Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno's film played the “bankable” card to the full by taking Zinédine Zidane as its subject. With the 2006 World Cup approaching, the film received media coverage that was completely unusual for a film made by artists [1]. It would be naive to think that all this was not calculated, but that does not detract from the interest of this cinematic object.

What makes the film cinematic is not only its vocabulary (close-ups, tracking shots, etc.) or its syntax, but above all its use of a particular device. As true products of the cultural industries, multiplex theaters take on a new dimension here. The size of the screen, which disorients the tracking shots, and the entirely reconstructed sound, which allows for breathtaking auditory zoom effects, make each screening a perfectly tuned installation. Under these conditions, the quality of the show matches the disappointment of the audience, who expect to see a documentary about the soccer player Zidane. However, there is something documentary-like about screening an entire match in real time, and the least we can say is that there is something “Zidane” about it, since the cameras follow only him. But the Real Madrid player is not John Giorno [2] and his activities are varied: he runs, he asks for the ball, he tests the turf with the tip of his shoe, and he waits.

The film, which plays with duration, is also a sensory experience. The slightly underexposed image highlights the player's white jersey against the horizon of the stands, and the different camera focal lengths fragment his body, which never leaves the immense frame of the screen. The sound, which gives the action a real physical impact, also transports the viewer away from real time. The sound of children playing soccer superimposed on this professional match and Mogwai's post-rock music expand the hic et nunc of the film in a more subtle way than the halftime break and its very 90s parable. However, while the film makes full use of the spectacular nature of the movie theater, it does not force the mind to adopt the rhythm of its flow from start to finish. The simultaneous presence of Zidane and the ball (the vector of action) on screen is rare, and the anticipation of this event always brings the viewer back to the reality of the screening.

A spectacle of anticipation, the film Zidane is also notable for the way it uses the movie theater as a platform for bringing together supporters from two traditionally heterogeneous communities, despite their shared history [3].