Former Long Crendon football teammates launch new documentary dedicated to the beautiful game

Two friends who grew up playing football together in Long Crendon are hoping to make a film exploring the beautiful game and rituals that surround it.

Both called Sam, they met playing for Crendon Corinthians, now years later as accomplished filmmakers they are returning to the sport that first bonded them.

Sam Perry is a documentary filmmaker with a background in music licensing for film and TV. He studied documentary filmmaking in Buenos Aires and has refined his skills working on everything from BBC documentaries to Hollywood blockbusters like Mission Impossible.

Sam Bassett is a director and editor specialising in documentary and factual film. After studying Media and Cultural Studies at University of the Arts, London he went on to do a Masters in Film Directing at the University of Edinburgh (Edinburgh College of Arts). He has since edited two feature documentaries, sports broadcasts and a number of short films, where he has refined his storytelling techniques.

For this project the pair will be merging a series of scenes conveying the richness of football culture, and how it has become embedded in the daily lives of its devotees. It will span nationalities, genders and ages, from across different continents, to accurately capture the eclectic nature of the game and its fans.

Individuals will be followed over a period of time to examine how football explains them and the world around them. These different narrative arcs will be weaved together to build an image of the human condition, told through football.

The Football Tribe will examine just how deeply football has shaped our everyday experience, from drunken pub banter to Sunday league matches in Eastern European fields.

A crowdfunder has been launched to support the project which can be accessed here. The target amount is £40,000, at the time of writing £3,075 has been raised.

Within the fundraiser is different incentives connected to how much someone is willing to donate. Generous supporters have the opportunity to become executive producers or partners on the project.