Is High Flying Bird & # 39; is based on a true story? This sporty drama from Netflix shows the dark side of the NBA



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The drama Netflix by filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, Big flying bird arrives at the streaming service on February 8th. Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, who also wrote the piece Moonlight is based on a lockout of the NBA that lasts about a month, during which the owners and players can not reach an agreement. The career of sports agent Ray (André Holland) suffers because he is about to be fired by his agency. But Ray sees the opportunity to launch rookie Erick (American VandalMelvin Gregg) is a controversial opportunity that will help him gain leverage. This is a real situation that occurs in the world of sport, but is Big flying bird based on a true story?

By a GQ McCraney's interview, the movie is loosely based on the 2011 NBA lockout. But the characters are fictional. By L & # 39; Atlanticthe lockout began because the 2005 collective agreement, which is the contact between owners and players who determine their pay, their trades and other important aspects, has expired. So, the NBA team owners have all stopped until an agreement between them.

"We had already removed from the table the nervous muscles that ran along the court, so that the flesh is not there. So what are we looking for? What are we talking about? For me, the best time to watch a character is when he is under duress. Not when things are good, but when things get worse, "McCraney explained. GQ. "And in the NBA, over the years, there have been times when a lockout is taking place and people are starting to panic. There are people who are prepared for these moments, then there are those who are new to the game, or are still living from one paycheck to the next. Like when the government closed.

But the idea of ​​making a film about sport was born from Soderbergh and the Dutch star, Holland, who wanted to show a facet of the industry rarely portrayed in a film. In an interview with The Hollywood journalistSoderbergh told how the story was born.

"We were both excited at the idea of ​​a project that basically allowed you to take a look behind the kimono of how these large-scale sports leagues operate and ask the question from what we think about the trivialization of athletes, "explained the director. "We were a little annoying and we said: let's think about a hypothetical scenario and keep it pretty short. Sweet smell of success a lot, because I wanted to use that as a kind of model. And we decided that the NBA and imagine what a contemporary version of what a lockout would look like would be very fertile ground. "

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The film focuses on the power dynamics at all levels of the industry, particularly how white team owners and sports lawyers exercise such control over the careers of black basketball players. in the GQ For the interview, McCraney mentioned a scene in which the character of Kyle McLachlan, one of the owners of the NBA team, pushes the limits to intimidate Ray. The writer did not reveal what is happening in the scene, but said that it reflected some of the experiences he had in real life as a black man.

"To be fair, not to basket! But I had these experiences. Absolutely. Absolutely. As a young and young black in this area, there have been times when I have been intimidated by older white men who have said things like, "Everything will be fine and you should not disturb." You should not interrupt what is happening. It's going to be okay, get away, "McCraney explained. Yes. Absolutely. That's why I put it in the sauna. Steven and Andrew were like, "Why in the sauna?" This is because we can talk about privilege and comfort according to the spaces that people think they have. And so, you're in your local gym and you're saying, "Well, we all have a piece, do not we?" But there are people walking there, like, "No, I always have more rights to that than you."

Even in industries where people of color are in the foreground, there is still oppression at the hands of whites and rich people. With this film, Soderbergh and his collaborators emphasize this incongruity.

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