Bend It Like Beckham

+ discussion with artists Athen Kardashian and Nina Mhach Durban

Gurinder Chadha’s feel-good sports comedy is a smart, funny and uplifting tale of ambition, identity and friendship.

  • Director

    Gurinder Chadha

  • With

    Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers

  • UK-Germany 2002. 112min

  • Digital

  • Certificate

    12A

Jess Bhamra, a British Indian teen, has one dream: to be a professional footballer. But her strict, traditional parents are pushing her towards a life of study and marriage. Torn between ambition and expectation, Jess must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice. Featuring an early turn from a young Knightley, this British comedy is a cult classic.

London based British-Asian artist duo Athen Kardashian and Nina Mhach Durban cite filmmaker Gurinder Chadha as a formative influence on their creative practice. Their work, rooted in explorations of diasporic identity, feminism and pop culture, engages audiences through physical and sensory experiences. The duo has had access to materials from the Gurinder Chadha Collection, both digital and paper, held at Screencraft within the BFI National Archive. Join Athen and Nina on stage as they reflect on their engagement with archival material, particularly in relation to Bend It Like Beckham, offering insights into their experience and the ways in which Chadha’s work resonates within their own.

Also available on BFI Player.

Contains racist and homophobic attitudes and language.