ONE YARD

—Hey, Sweety, what’s up?

—Hey Dani, guess what?

—What?

—I've been asked to direct a documentary about the Super Bowl.

—Congratulations, Sweety! That's awesome!

—It’s about the most memorable Super Bowl of the century in the United States!

—Any wardrobe malfunctions, a zipper gone rogue…?

—Nope, no stray nipples. The Seattle Seahawks, who were the best at that time, lost at the last yard! They missed the final pass in the last minute with everything in their favor! Against the Patriots. Imagine, they were building a dynasty.

—A dynasty?! Like a monarchy, in the United States?!

—Dani, tomorrow I’m inviting you over for lunch and I'll tell you more.

—Alright, perfect. See you at your place tomorrow.

THE NEXT DAY.

—Dani, the NFL organizes the competition. They move more money than the NBA and MLB combined.

—The what?

—The NBA.

—Yeah, I got that. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spud Webb…

—In the US, American football is bigger than baseball and basketball combined.

—That’s why the halftime ads and all that show, now I get it. But, more than the NBA when Jordan was playing?

—Yes, yes. This documentary is going to be seen by millions, a ton of people.

—It’s like a Champions League final here in Europe, but on steroids, like really massive.

Lorca walks in with her yellow tennis ball in her mouth, drops it on the floor, and gives me the saddest puppy eyes ever.

—The main character of the documentary would be like a Messi of American football, who didn’t get the ball and his team lost a yard away from the touchdown. His nickname was Beast Mode.

—I didn’t know you were an expert in American football.

—No, I’m not. I have no clue.

—Hahaha, and you’re going to direct a documentary that millions will scrutinize? You are a beast!

—It’s not going to be easy, for sure.

—But you’re great with concepts and have fantastic taste, you’re going to make something amazing, I’m sure. Any ideas yet?

Lorca barks, maybe caught up in my enthusiasm or just wanting me to throw the ball.

—I can’t wait to see it!!

—We’re going to have so much fun, Dani!

—What do you mean, "we"?

—You and me. When are you available?

I throw the ball and Lorca dashes after it, returning even faster with her prize in her mouth. I get up, pick up her little yellow obsession, and with a graceful move, throw a perfect arc for Lorca to catch the ball in the air. “Who said dogs can’t play American football?” I think to myself.

—Dani! Don’t tell me you don’t have any free dates?!

Standing in the middle of the living room, I turn and see my reflection in a large mirror. I barely recognize my face. “Why the gloomy look?” I wonder. I sit back down on the couch, staring closer to the mirror, touching my face, trying to find the source of my sudden melancholy.

—Hey, did you hear me?

—Sorry, Sweety, I was spacing out.

—Dani, do you have free dates?

—I’ve never seen a single game of that sport in my life.

—I know.

—Why don’t you work with an editor who knows about American football?

—Dani, I want to work with you.

—The closest thing to American football I know is when we used to steal melons in my mom’s village and played rugby. 

—Dani, we’re going to approach it from a completely different angle.

—I have no doubt you’re going to do something extraordinary.

—We’re going to show the raw passion, the whole spectacle around the NFL, the real stories of the players. It’s going to be a documentary that transcends sports and for that, I need an editor who knows how to tell stories. I don’t care if you don’t know what a touchdown is.

—A what?

—Listen to what I found this morning.

Sweety plays a hip-hop track, the lyrics talk about Beast Mode.

—I imagine it in black and white. Dani, I’ve seen the interviews shot by some journalists and I think there’s an interesting story.

—The track sounds great, I like it. Are you thinking of using it as the soundtrack?

—Not sure yet…

—You know how I imagine the edit? Double actions in the cuts.

—Dani, we’re going to have so much fun with this project!