Icing

Content

They appear small and fragile – until they put on their gear and chest protector. They seem to drown in their knee-long ichockey jerseys, as if they had borrowed them from their bigger brothers.

Reinforced with a helmet and batsman, they go onto the ice, where the children in preliminary and primary school chase after the puck. They do nott give anything away for free and pushing, falls and broken thugs are common. This is the offspring of the MEKJ, the Munich Ice Hockey Association for children and young people.

For the winter, the film accompanies the children in training, tournaments and competitions. It traces different sensitivities of the young players and the special nature of the sport from different angles. The comments of the coach, who threw the parents out of the cabin to be able to talk with the small fighters, are loving and at the same time strict ...

Play, don't fight

Apparantly size and strength are the most important features of an ice hockey player. But the sport is much more than just spoiling and beating, the children learn team spirit, discipline and fun in sports. Without the primary goal of victory, all children have the opportunity to play, whether good or bad, small or large.

Hockey as a lifestyle

Many of the players, who were initially rather shy and less confident, became self-assured children through training. On the ice, they learn to keep their balance and react quickly. No matter how many times they fall, they get up again and carry on, an attitude that is also valuable for everyday life.

For as harsh as the gameplay can be, as soon as the children take off their protective armor, they are children again, vulnerable and loveable at the same time.

Unlike the adult players with their "poker faces", the children are still quite emotional. And the coaches are also required to have a different quality than usual. Thus, the film opens up new perspectives and accompanies the children through rain, wind and snow, until in the spring again an Icing-Season ends.

Technical Data

• Titel: Icing (Documentation)
• Status: Production
• Director: Mathias Allary
• Script: Mathias Allary