''The Black Meteor'' is a

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

Dutch

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

directed by

Guido Pieters Guido Pieters (born 1948 in Maastricht) is a Dutch film director. After directing various large Dutch movie projects and successful TV series during the 1980s and early 1990s, Pieters became a productive director in the German TV world. His film ...

. The film is based on the novel by

Tom Egbers Tom Egbers (18 October 1957 in Almelo) is a Dutch journalist of Irish descent, writer and TV presenter ( Studio Sport)Tom Egbers
on ...

, a Dutch sports journalist, which was adapted for the screen by Kees van Beijnum. The novel fictionalizes the story of

Steve Mokone Stephen Madi Mokone OIG (23 March 1932 – 19 March 2015) was a South African footballer who was the first black South African player to play in a professional European league. He was nicknamed ''The Black Meteor'' and ''Kalamazoo''. Early ye ...

, the first black player to play in a professional European league.

Plot

The movie is set in the 1950s, when soccer club

SC Heracles Heracles Almelo is a Dutch professional football club based in Almelo, founded in 1903. The club has won the Dutch national title twice, in 1927 and 1941. Heracles won the Eerste Divisie title during the 2004–05 season, gaining promotion to th ...

from Almelo, in the rural east of the Netherlands, acquires an African player. Steve Mokone makes Heracles a successful team, while changing every aspect of life in the small city. Mokone builds a unique friendship with the 15-year-old Felix, but then leaves town as quickly as he came.

Reception

Scott Foundas, writing for '' Variety'', was not overly positive, criticizing its "holier-than-thou coming of age/race relations" quality.

Cast

Jet Novuka Jet Novuka (born 3 March 1971) is a South African actor also known as ''Sir Jet Novuka''. Early life Novuka was born and raised in Mthatha Mthatha , formerly Umtata, is the main city of the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in Eastern ...

- Steve Mokone * Erik van der Horst - Felix Verbeek *

Gijs Scholten van Aschat Gijs Scholten van Aschat (born 16 September 1959) is a Dutch actor. He has appeared in more than sixty films since 1980. He is the father of Reinout Scholten van Aschat Reinout Scholten van Aschat (born 9 November 1989) is a Dutch actor. ...

- Schouten, Heracles chairman * Peter Tuinman - Felix's father * Lieneke le Roux - Felix's mother *

Thekla Reuten Thekla Simona Gelsomina Reuten (born 16 September 1975) is a Dutch actress. Life and career Reuten was born in Bussum, Netherlands, the daughter of a Dutch father, Joost Reuten, and an Italian mother, who was born in Benabbio near Bagni di Lucc ...

- Vera *

Roef Ragas Rudolphus Henricus Cornelis "Roef" Ragas (25 May 1965 – 30 August 2007) was a Dutch actor from Harderwijk. He was the older brother of Bastiaan and Jeroen Ragas. From 1984 to 1990 Ragas studied Dutch at the University of Amsterdam. He graduate ...

- Jaap Stegehuis *

Caro Lenssen Caro may refer to: Places * Caro, Michigan, United States * Caro, Morbihan, France * Çaro, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France Other uses * Caro (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Caro (surname), including a list of peo ...

- Mies * Angelique de Bruijne - neighbor * Aus Greidanus - Heracles coach *

Wouter van Oord Wouter is a Dutch masculine given name popular in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is the Dutch equivalent of the English name Walter and French name Gauthier, both of Germanic origin, meaning "ruler of the army", "army of the forest" or "bright ...

- Tim *

Guus de Wit Guus is a common Dutch given name. It is a diminutive of the name Augustus. The female variant of this name is "Guusje". People named Guus include: * Guus Albregts (1900–1980), Dutch economist and politician * Guus Berkhout (born 1940), Dutch ...

- Jan *

Benten Wijnen Benzaiten (''shinjitai'': 弁才天 or 弁財天; ''kyūjitai'': 辯才天, 辨才天, or 辨財天, lit. "goddess of eloquence"), also simply known as Benten (''shinjitai'': 弁天; ''kyūjitai'': 辯天 / 辨天), is a Japanese Buddhist g ...

- Jan (as Benten Bastiaan Wijnen) * Jop Kappelhoff - Koen * Frederik Brom - Rooie Gaait (as Freek Brom)

References

External links

* 2000 films 2000s Dutch-language films Films set in the 1950s Dutch association football films Films set in the Netherlands 2000s sports films Films directed by Guido Pieters {{Netherlands-film-stub