The Two Escobars free essay sample

The film The Two Escobar’s, directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, is a documentary about â€Å"narco-soccer†, which was a time period in Columbia when it was prevalent for drug kingpins to use soccer clubs to launder their money. One of the most infamous kingpins was Pablo Escobar. Pablo was typically known as a murderer in Columbia, but did have one passion in life, and that was soccer. The other Escobar, Andres, who had no blood relation to Pablo, was the star defensive player for Columbia’s soccer team.One thing these two had in common, besides their last name, was that the people in Columbia disliked them because of difficult circumstances they were put in. The people in Columbia viewed soccer as a way to unite their country. Although soccer wasn’t popular in the nation yet, Andres and his teammates were determined to become the best of the best. We will write a custom essay sample on The Two Escobars or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Since everyone was generally poor, the team did not have enough money to hire an international trainer, so, the chances of them becoming a renowned soccer team were extremely slim. However, when the drug kingpins used soccer clubs to launder their money, and the cocaine trade changed everything.Since Pablo was becoming increasingly rich from the drug trade in the soccer clubs, he built soccer fields around different neighborhoods, and that is how the players on the Columbia soccer team really learned how to play, and would practice on them. Even when running from authorities, Pablo would have his radio on hand to listen to the game. Everything was looking up for the two Escobar’s, and the Columbian soccer team even made it to the World Cup! Things really started taking a turn for the worst when the drug trafficking got so horrific in Columbia; the government even passed a law that abolished extradition.Pablo then surrendered, and was sent to prison. While in prison, he had soccer fields built for him, and had the Columbian soccer team often play there. Pablo thought it had so much power; he had killed a couple of people in prison, and that’s when everything went downhill for him. The Cali Cartel formed PEPE’s, People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar, and they wanted Pablo dead. PEPE’s offered Pablo an ultimatum: turn yourself by midnight on December 31st, and if not, staring January 1st, they will start killing his family member. Then, on December 2, 1993, Pablo Escobar was murdered.Even though Columbia did not know what to do after their â€Å"boss† had died, the soccer team was heading toward the World Cup. While playing an intense game against the United States, a devastating occurrence happened; Andres Escobar accidently scored on his own goal, causing Columbia to lose, and were kicked out of the World Cup. Even if Andres teammates did not blame him for that accidental goal, some people in Columbia were upset because the bet big money that the Columbian’s were going to win it all. On July 2, 1994, Andres Escobar was surrounded, shot and killed while trying to defend his actions towards that overwhelming World Cup loss.Many believe if Pablo Escobar were alive, then Andres would not have been shot and klled. Columbia had gone through a great loss and horrible tragedies. Most thought soccer would bring the nation together, but all it did was rip the nation apart. The death of the two Escobar’s marked the end of the wonder years of Columbian soccer. The Two Escobar’s was an amazing documentary about how everything and everyone’s lives essentially revolves around soccer, and how it strongly impacted when the Columbians lost the World Cup. I’ve just always looked at soccer as just a sport.However, in Columbia, it was a lifestyle. Soccer there was a way to escape your problems you were having whether it was at home or with your family. I do think Pablo and Andres both have amazing stories. Although both dead, their deaths strongly impacted Columbia and peoples lives in a huge way. Pablo was not only one of the biggest drug kingpins, but surprisingly to some people, he also had a heart and reached out to others. Not only did he build soccer fields in different neighborhoods, but he also built people homes. He was a god to some people, and I can kind of see why. He was basically a bittersweet individual. Watching the footage of his funeral was baffling. I was in awe when the people who attended his funeral opened up his casket and touch his dead body. Also, the amount of people there had to be in the thousands. It was an unbelievable sight to see, and I have literally never seen anything or anyone act like that after a death. Andres death was the most tragic. Someone being shot because of an accidental goal, that his teammates didn’t even take seriously.This just shows how much soccer is important to this country. His life really shows me how things could be perfect at one moment, but then can change at the snap of the fingers. His death was a real tragedy, and I do not think such a thing should have happened to him. My heart goes out to his poor family. They thought everything was looking up for him, and he could have potentially played for the soccer team in Milan, Italy, but all those dreams were crushed. If Andres was still alive today, I bet he would be huge in the soccer world and one of the best players out there. I wouldn’t necessarily say this documentary changed my life, but it changed my outlook on life. Columbia seemed like a united nation due to the rise of soccer, but it was the crushed. It really makes me think that those actions could happen to anyone or anywhere; it is just a matter of how things play out. You cannot also blame people for simple mistakes. It’s a fact that people do make mistakes! This film has also taught me not to turn down documentaries because they seem boring to you, and because they have subtitles, because I actually want to watch this movie again, it was that astounding to me.