Hot Docs 2025 - Ultras Review

“That’s how it is for us, it is fucking awesome”

Ragnhild Ekner’s latest documentary, Ultras, acts as a very strong shoutout to the culture and energy that lives inside of football fans all across the world. The film instantly throws the audience right in the centre of one of these football stadiums; people in team-colour masks are seen shouting, and the overall atmosphere is quite chaotic. This is immediately followed by a narration which describes a father overwhelmed with joy to get VIP cage tickets for his child, the child then responds, “I want to be over there, where it’s dangerous.”

ULTRAS are people who are on their feet the entire game, cheering and screaming and clapping, letting their team know that they want them to give it their all and then some, most commonly between ages 17-20.

Ekner spares no time showing the unbelievable enthusiasm of the fans and the transcendent nature of the football field. This is accompanied by stock footage and narrations of Ultras describing how they became super fans themselves. It shows the audience that these events aren’t entirely about yelling as loud as you can in victory or defeat, but more about the camaraderie and simultaneous art creation that is involved before, during, and after stadium visits.

The art creation surpasses being strictly sonic. The audience is treated to several vignettes of sports fans putting hours and hours into flag/banner creation, including but not limited to: their mental perspective on the games/audience etiquette, as well as the grand feeling of relief when they recognize that their efforts are successful and paying off.

The film isn’t afraid to get into the darker side of situations either. About 20 minutes in, a woman describes losing her son and deep struggles with her mental health as a result of this. This leads to football being discovered as an outlet for escaping that struggling headspace. This narration is accompanied by peaceful instrumentals playing behind slow-motion images of packed stadiums doing “the wave” and screaming with bright red faces. It’s a strong juxtaposition that finds a home for itself very nicely throughout the course of its runtime. 

In a darker theme, a bit later into the film, there’s commentary on how the authorities respond to the loud crowds and celebrations, how they intend to provoke the crowds and disrupt the ceremonies. While hearing the Ultras speak on this matter, it offers an insight into presence and political standings, and this also bleeds into football being understood as a political atmosphere while we’re being shown a match in England. The strongest takeaway is Ekner’s direction and vision; his dedication to carefully dissecting and spending time with football fans across the globe (also considering the 7-some years it took to make it) is exhilarating; it makes you feel like you’re there in the middle of the passionate chaos.

Hot Docs 2025 concluded today, May 4th. You can see upcoming year-round events at hotdocs.ca.