If you’re in the mood for a feel-good underdog story, look no further thanTaika Waititi’s somewhat biographical sports comedy,Next Goal Wins. Inspired by the acclaimed documentary of the same name fromSteve JamiesonandMike Brett, Waititi’s take on the tale aims for big laughs and lots of heart.
Next Goal Winsis aboutthe infamously terrible American Samoa soccer teamthat rose to notoriety after their historically devastating FIFA loss to Australia with a score of 31-0. Despite that brutal outcome, the team sets their sights on the 2014 FIFA World Cup and hires American soccer coachThomas Rongen(played byMichael Fassbender) to get them there. The movie also featuresElisabeth Moss, Waititi himself,Oscar Kightley,Uli Latukefu, andKaimanain her screen debut playing American Samoa soccer playerJaiyah Saelua.
During an interview with Collider’sPerri Nemiroff, Waititi and Saelua discuss adapting the documentary intoa narrative feature. Waititi explains how being open to on-the-spot development influenced the film for the better and Saelua pinpoints the aspects of her true story that were important to see in the finished film. They also discuss the casting process for Kaimana who delivers an impressive debut performance as Jaiyah, a fa’afafinefootball player, meaning third gender or non-binary, specific to Samoan culture.
Hear about all of that and more straight from Waititi and Saelua in the video interview at the top of this article, or you can read the conversation in transcript form below.
Next Goal Wins
The story of the infamously terrible American Samoa soccer team, known for a brutal 2001 FIFA match they lost 31-0.
PERRI NEMIROFF: Taika, I always love hearing about how a film evolves along the way, so what would you say is the biggest difference between draft one of this screenplay and what everyone will now see in the finished film?
TAIKA WAITITI: Oh, I don’t even remember draft one. It’s pretty much the same story. Most of the beats are the same. On this particular film, I think a lot of the timewe did versions of the script and then went off script a lot.A lot of things developed and evolved throughout the shoot, as it usually does on my films. Like, for instance, there’s a character, Armani, this kid that doesn’t say anything and hangs out with Jaiyah and with Thomas. Michael just came up to me one day and said, “I’ve been talking to this cool kid. He’s just been hanging out near the set. You should put him in the movie.” [Laughs] I said, “Okay.” The next day, this was like a week or two into shooting, we put him in. I just felt like going into this, to really just accept and open up to any idea or any sort of development that could happen and not be too strict. A lot of the film, thematically, it’s about just letting go. Not trying to control too many things and just sort of going with the flow.
Adapting Jaiyah Saelua’s Story
To build on that, Jaiyah, when you first heard that the documentary was going to be turned into a scripted feature, what was a top priority for you in terms of an element of your true experience that you really wanted to see represented in this film, but then on the other hand, to lean into what Taika was just saying, what is something about the finished film that caught you by surprise, something you didn’t think it would capture but really appreciated?
JAIYAH SAELUA:I’m most grateful that Taika was the one who took on this project becausehe’s a Pacific Islander, and he knows the sensitivities that surround the fa’afafine identity. So that was my biggest concern when I first heard that Taika was going to do this project. I think the biggest surprise for me was the fact that he was generous enough to give me a lead role in the movie [laughs], or Kaimana. I was just one story of many different stories in the documentary, but in this film, I felt pretty special. I mean, he was generous enough to even give me goals when I didn’t score any goals. [Laughs]
WAITITI: [Laughs] I’m a god. I can do whatever I want in my world. When I create a world in a film, I am the creator.
SAELUA: Yeah, so there were a couple of pleasant surprises.
WAITITI: Look, if you want the real, real story, watch the documentary.
SAELUA: Exactly. [Laughs]
WAITITI: I mean, documentaries aren’t even that real, are they? They’re just little moments edited together to create a certain point of view and a certain narrative based on what the filmmaker wants you to think or feel. If youreallywant the true, true, true story, get a time machine and go back there.
Finding Kaimana
I need to highlight Kaimana. Taika, what did you see in her that signaled to you, “Yes, you can handle a lead role in this pretty big feature film … for your acting debut?”
WAITITI: Well, there are a few boxes to tick when you’re trying to cast for this particular role. We want authenticity, so I needed someone who, A, was Samoan, B, identified as trans, C, who could play soccer. Really, those are three very hard things to combine and get right! And with four, the most important thing is that they could act. There are a few people that came in and Kaimanaticked all of those boxes.I instantly felt like she was able to do the job. She did her first scenes with Michael and he was like, “Whoa! She’s good. Really good.”That was a huge relief to be out of because that was a very important role to cast, obviously.
I’m dying to see her in more things now! Jaiyah, did you get the chance to chat with Kaimana before filming, and if so, what were some elements of the movie version that were most important for the two of you to talk through and maybe even work on together?
SAELUA:Kaimana is playing Taika’s version of Jaiyah. The first time we met was at the launch party for the film. I was actually a guest of one of the cast members, and I walked in not knowing anybody, but Kaimana stood out. We got to chat a little, not as colleagues pertaining to the film, but more so as introductory meets and just getting a feel for who each other is. Now we’re good friends. I thik that was important.
Lessons Learned on the Set of ‘Next Goal Wins’
One of my favorite ideas that this movie puts forth is “no pressure, enjoy yourselves, it’s just a game.” So Taika, I want to turn that idea towards filmmaking, which is an undeniably high-pressure business and also art. Whether it’sNext Goal Winsor any other film you’ve made, can you recall a time on set when you had to remind yourself of the excitement of making a movie, and because of that, it helped you overcome a very challenging moment in a production?
WAITITI: I think every time I drive to work, the closer I get to set, the more excited I get.That’swhat reminds me, is the idea that no one has really figured out this isn’t a real job and we get to just put different clothes on and masks on and pretend to be people all day.It’s the best job I can think of. I still get that real kind of buzz of going to work like, “I can’t believe I get to do this!” I try not to stress.I’ve always tried not to stress because it’s the silent killer. On set, it’s very hard not to. The pressure is very great. I just know that if it is a high-stress situation and you’re not sure what the outcome’s gonna be, it’s actually a good place to be because if you know your next move the entire time it’s kind of boring. There doesn’t seem to be much of a point to me. So, I like those moments when it’s like, “What the hell is gonna happen?” And then, when you get out of it, when you manage to pull something off or figure out a solution to a problem, you feel very smart.
Next Goal Winsis in theaters now in the U.S. Purchase ticketshere.
