As famous as an actor as he is as a director, and also a celebrated comedian, Taika David Cohen, better known as Taika Waititi, couldn't be having a better time. While he is preparing what will be his version of a new Star Wars film that will hit screens around the world in 2026, he has been given the pleasure of finally being able to release El peor equipo del mundo, which shoot before the pandemic. A satire about how American Samoa's national football team managed to bounce back from a 31-0 defeat against Australia in 2001 thanks to the help of Thomas Rongen, a Dutch coach who arrives in exile on the North Island -American and who is brought to life by Michael Fassbender.
What fascinated him about the Samoan team with the worst defeat in football history?
I love a good underdog story, and it's hard to find a better one than this one: a team that no one believes in, that has never scored a goal, that has never won a game in the history of the country, and that he suffered the worst defeat in football's memory, 31 to 0 against Australia, and all that it generated. But as the saying goes, never let the truth get in the way of telling a good story, so I've certainly taken some liberties in telling what happened. If the audience is interested in the true story, they can watch the documentary that was made on the subject.
How important is Michael Fassbender's character to the story?
Very important. I love the idea of someone arriving on the island, assuming they don't know anything about anything. He is a man who has traveled the world and played with the best. He is trained in the old school of football. The idea that he comes to the island to save this team and then he is the one who is saved by the island. I thought it was a very interesting idea.
What surprised you about Michael Fassbender?
I had always heard that he was a funny man, but it didn't seem so from the characters he played. I also didn't think he was a kind person, something that everyone who knew him also assured me. I'm used to working with friends, and Michael became one of them very quickly. He made it fun to go to the shoot every day. I thought it was so funny that I wrote to his agent afterwards and told him that I should ban him from doing any more dramas.
What do you know about football?
The truth is that I made a film about a sport I know nothing about. Obviously, I watched the World Cup games when I was younger. I like that, but I never followed a team. I like rugby, which is the national sport in New Zealand. But football is growing a lot there. And I learned to appreciate him by making this film. Before, I believed that football revolved around people playing the victim. But I discovered that when there are good players, football can be like a ballet.
What would you say is the message of the film?
That sometimes you have to give up. You have to accept the way things are and stop fighting, especially when you are struggling with emotional trauma. Sometimes it's no use trying to hold on to what you had, to the old glories. It's okay to give up and be vulnerable. Losing 31-0 isn't the end of the world.
He mentioned the demons of Michael Fassbender's character. What are yours?
I think most of it has to do with creativity and being an artist. Many times I create obstacles for myself on purpose, because this forces me to think of alternatives.
