Christine Sinclair: Kind of a Big Deal available to stream for free on Knowledge Network’s knowledge.ca site.
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Warm up for the seven World Cup matches in Vancouver from June 13 to July 27 with Knowledge Network’s new short film, Christine Sinclair: Kind of a Big Deal.
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The Vancouver-produced animated film is available to stream for free beginning May 22 on Knowledge.ca and YouTube.
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The 10-minute film, directed by Vancouver’s Eoin Duffy, and narrated by Ryan Reynolds, traces how quiet leadership, humility and hard work shaped a legacy both on-and-off the pitch.
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“Quiet, focused, unshakable. She changed the game by just playing it. Never chased the spotlight, always passed the praise. Fought for her team. Called out the crap. Showed up, spoke up, and never once asked for credit. She won’t say it, but the game already has — there is only one GOAT,” says Reynolds in the film.
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Sun Spots
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The GOAT (greatest of all time) part points to Sinclair being the FIFA all-time scoring record-holder with 190 goals.
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To put that goal-scoring legacy into perspective, even if the greatest men’s players Ronaldo (143) and Messi (115) remain active well into their 40s, it’s highly unlikely either will match the number of times Sinclair found the back of the net in her 23 years playing for Canada.
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During those two-plus decades in a red-and-white jersey, Sinclair played in six Cups and led the Canadian side to three Olympic medals, including gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Sinclair, who retired from pro soccer at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League’s 2024 season, is a co-owner of Vancouver Rise FC.
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“What really drew me in was the emotional side of Christine’s story,” said Duffy in an email to Postmedia News.
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The film was produced by Vancouver-based Studio Belly Animation Inc., with animation by Hestyreps.
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“From the beginning, I wanted the film to shift between different animation styles that reflected different sides of Christine’s life,” said Duffy, who shouted out Henrique Barone for his visual direction on the project. “We ultimately landed on four core styles: a hyper-dynamic look for the soccer sequences; a restrained cinematic approach for the quieter off-pitch moments; a softer style for the family scenes; and motion graphics elements to convey the more informational side of the story.
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“She gave us a lot of creative trust to interpret her story in an artistic and cinematic way.”
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The result is a concise, entertaining and informative look at Sinclair’s story, including important ups and devastating downs.
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“The worst 90 minutes of my life,” says Sinclair in the film about the national team’s elimination at the 2011 Cup. “Everything that could go wrong went wrong. It’s hard to watch, it was so bad.”
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Adding to the film’s charm is Reynolds’ narration.
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“Ryan was approached because he felt like a natural fit, tonally. Another iconic Canadian voice with a mix of humour, warmth and sincerity,” wrote Duffy.
