Once a subculture confined to Italian stadiums, football ultras have spread globally and become a cultural obsession. A new documentary by Ragnhild Ekner travels through Sweden, Indonesia, Poland, Argentina, England, Egypt, and Morocco to explore the roots of ultra-mania.
The Appeal of Belonging
In an era of atomization, ultras offer collectivism, danger, and belonging. As one ultra in the film states, "It's where I feel at home." Another adds, "Inside, we're a family." The documentary highlights contradictions: some terraces exclude women, while others feature young veiled women prominently.
Roots in Modern Football
Modern football's rootlessness—players and owners from distant countries, foreign-language advertising—makes ultras the only link to a club's origin. They provide passion and meaning to the sanitized stadium experience.
Outlaws and Insurgents
Ultras see themselves as rebels in a conformist world. They played a role in the Arab Spring, claiming to champion the dispossessed. Their lexicon borrows from religion: "faith," "presence," "devotion." One ultra who survived the 2012 Port Said massacre says, "That's when I understood one can sacrifice oneself for a higher cause."
Mock-Medievalism and Violence
The subculture includes mock-medieval rituals like "steal the flag," where groups protect their herald at all costs. Violence is inherent: "Subcultures have always been violent," says an interviewee. However, Ekner's film sidesteps negativity, calling it a tribute rather than a critique.
Criminal Overlap
Beneath the carnival atmosphere lies criminality. In Italy, ultra bosses engage in ticket-touting, drug trafficking, and far-right political experimentation. The movement is contradictory: charitable yet criminal, unifying yet divisive. As Tobias Jones notes, ultras reflect society's losses and the cost of reclaiming them.
