On the Seventh Day

Countless films are shot on location in Brooklyn, from Saturday Night Fever to Woody Allen’s Annie Hall and Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing. In Jim McKay’s cinematic gem On the Seventh Day, you will see the New York borough through a totally different lens. The film follows an amateur soccer team made up of Mexican immigrants who are up against their rivals from the Brazilian community in a local Brooklyn tournament. The final is scheduled for Saturday, but suddenly it turns out that José, the star of the team, has to do extra hours that very day at the fancy restaurant where he works as a waiter and delivery boy. Alas, the chance of winning seems rather slim.

On the Seventh Day is a study in the brilliance of simplicity. It is a film with an amateur cast playing ordinary people in real environments, and the plot follows a classical structure: As Saturday draws near, the tension rises and José’s despair grows. How can he get away from his work duties and play the final after all? The more we get to know the Mexican community, the faster our hearts are beating for them. And what happens on the seventh day? Come and see for yourself.