Saipan

The real-life drama behind star player Roy Keane’s rift with manager Mick McCarthy on the eve of the 2002 World Cup, Saipan is a story of ego, loyalty, and identity that resonates beyond the world of sports. Steve Coogan delivers a riveting turn as McCarthy, opposite a formidable performance from Éanna Hardwicke as Keane

It was one of the most seismic events in Irish sporting history: the infamous fallout between the Republic of Ireland’s team captain Roy Keane and coach Mick McCarthy on the eve of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Keane, then captain of Manchester United and one of the most formidable midfielders in the world, was the pride of Irish football, a player defined by grit, drive, and unrelenting standards. McCarthy, a former Irish captain himself and a seasoned manager, was the steady hand trusted to lead the national team onto its biggest stage in years.

What began as a dispute over professionalism and pre-tournament training conditions on the remote Pacific Island of Saipan escalated into a national reckoning, dividing a country where football can be sacred.

Screening at Luna Leederville from February 5.