A welcome sign of summer in the city of Toronto is when the tremendous multiplicity of concrete outdoor basketball courts begin to fill up. As the white slush makes way for the charcoal blacktops, thousands of people flock to their nearest courts to begin the festivities. For passersby, it’s the same game playing out across all these courts. For those unfamiliar it is just a bunch of kids playing basketball. Serville Poblete’s latest short documentary King’s Court, now streaming for free at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) after debuting at Hot Docs this spring, individualizes these roadside contests by amplifying two of the thousands of lives scattered between the city’s countless (and often net-less) orange rims, each governed by a ritualistic ruling – winner stays on.
Poblete’s film eavesdrops on SK and Marley, two friends who grew up together in the city’s Bleecker Street neighbourhood as they talk about relationships, coming-of-age in Toronto, and their respective emotional hardships in life. While most of the film is constructed through breathtakingly beautiful shots of the two playing basketball, talking to each other or to the camera, the film occasionally cuts to a band of four children, also Bleecker Street residents, who enthusiastically watch SK and Marley on the court. The cyclical contrast is crystal clear and more importantly an incredible visual aid to the protagonists’ frequent conversations about childhood and of a life sans the burden, stresses, and responsibilities that adulthood has thrust upon them. There are similar moments in the film where the sensitive dialogue is colourfully complemented by the stunning cinematography, rife with intelligent visual commentary and a near-accurate representation of Toronto’s vivacity in the summer. The shots of SK and Marley playing basketball are also incredibly aestheticized and evoke the fierce on-court competition through close-ups of bulging veins and silenced screams, which is furthered by their contrasting calm when speaking with each other or to the camera.
It is not that the film is incredibly poignant with its dialogue but rather is an excellent encapsulation of the evolution of male friendships through time. In SK and Marley, the film depicts how community can help craft blissful companionship which is supported not by a reliance on each other but rather a necessity for each other. The two friends’ vulnerability is comforting to watch and counteractive to the hetero/alpha-male lens that sport is often viewed through. In that regard, one of the film’s most important ideas is its discussion of dreams and futures beyond the court itself. SK and Marley seek a future that is not governed by basketball and yet the sport nevertheless is integral to their journey. King’s Court is not a film about basketball but rather a reminder that there is life within basketball and life without it, and that a real king is one fit to hold the crown off the court as well.
Watch King’s Court from the NFB below:
King’s Court, Serville Poblete, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
