Christine Sinclair set a record for men’s and women’s soccer that still stands, scoring 190 goals for the Canadian Women’s National Team before retiring in 2024.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
It’s well documented that former Canada captain Christine Sinclair doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, so it seems only fitting that her story be told in an animated short.
Christine Sinclair: Kind of a Big Deal, written and directed by Eoin Duffy, is just under eight minutes long. The story is short and sweet, narrated by Vancouver resident Ryan Reynolds.
This mini-documentary touches on the highlights of Sinclair’s career, from winning Olympic bronze and gold medals and scoring a world record 190 goals, to fighting for equal pay for women on the pitch. Off the pitch, it’s a reflection of her deep family ties.
And it manages to do so while conveying Sinclair’s eccentric, self-deprecating attitude.
When Reynolds mentioned his scoring record, Sinclair interjected, “It’s just a number.”
“That’s the number one,” Reynolds replies.
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This project has been a long time coming, and the seeds were planted about six years ago. Mr Sinclair admitted he was unsure of the idea at first, but was persuaded by his manager to go along with it.
“Who would be interested in that?” That was kind of my initial reaction. Like most things,” Sinclair said in an interview. “But it definitely brought tears to my eyes to see how it all came together. There was a side of my mother in there as well.”
Sinclair’s mother, Sandy, passed away in February 2022 after battling multiple sclerosis for more than 40 years. Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, British Columbia, will retire after the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season and has worked tirelessly to raise funds to support people living with MS.
The choice of an animated short appealed to Sinclair, who had no interest in having cameras follow her (a proposed documentary to TSN and Crave in 2022 never got off the ground).
“This animated short was a way for me to be able to share my story and still be on the outside,” she said with a laugh.
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Ms. Sinclair spent time with Duffy and shared her story and her thoughts on important parts of the journey.
“It was seamless,” she said of the process. “He’s so funny and easy to talk to, and it felt like therapy, getting to know him and him learning my story.”
Irish-born Duffy, a creative director at Studio Berry Animation in Vancouver, also said that Sinclair was “surprisingly open” and enjoyed their time together.
“She’s a Roy Keane type,” he said fondly of the outspoken former Ireland international and Manchester United star. “She has no filter and just tells you what’s in front of her.”
Duffy, 43, comes from a graphic design background and has a unique animation style. It’s simple and minimalist.
The Sinclair project, while true to Duffy’s style, marks a departure in subject matter.
“This kind of project had never even come to my attention,” he admitted.
Duffy’s work, which has been screened at over 200 film festivals around the world, can be a little dark.
“I’m a very happy person,” he said with a laugh. “I like exploring the dark side of it.”
Missing Scarf was one of ten animated shorts on the 2014 Academy Award shortlist, but ultimately did not receive an Oscar nomination.
Although the main character is a squirrel, it has been described as a black comedy that explores the fear of the unknown.
Duffy has also created animated “explainer” videos for NASA, Apple, Facebook, Google, and more. His five-minute short piece for NASA told the story of New Horizons, the first spacecraft to explore Pluto up close.
He is used to using famous vocal talents.
Star Trek’s George Takei narrates “The Vanishing Scarf.” Duffy also uses the voices of Canadian actor Nicholas Campbell, best known for Da Vinci’s Inquisition, and Scottish actor Rory McCann, who played Sandor (the Hound) Clegane on Game of Thrones.
Duffy believes that minimalist visuals require powerful audio.
Ms. Sinclair does not know Ms. Reynolds personally, but Ms. Reynolds previously sent Ms. Sinclair a video congratulating her on her career on the occasion of her international retirement. Reynolds is a football enthusiast and co-owner of Wrexham AFC, a Welsh team that plays in the English Second Division Championship.
“So we reached out and he was number one on our list,” Sinclair said. “I didn’t expect him to say yes. He’s very busy and has a lot on his plate.
“Right away he said yes.”
Reynolds refused the narrator’s appearance fee and instead asked that donations be made to Covenant House, which helps at-risk homeless and trafficked youth.
Although Sinclair was initially reluctant to share parts of her story, admitting it can be difficult at times, she now has no regrets about the project.
“I’m so glad I did this. I’m so happy that this was made and that I can share it with the world.”
She hopes viewers will go away having fun and that young viewers will be inspired while learning that achieving goals isn’t always smooth sailing.
“Even if you’re a star athlete, life has its challenges,” she added. “That we are no different from anyone else.”
Sinclair, 42, has recently split his time between Portland and Vancouver, where he played 12 seasons with the NWSL Thorns. She is part-owner of Vancouver Rise FC in the Northern Super League and oversees the Christine Sinclair Foundation.
British Columbia’s public education broadcaster Knowledge Network’s Christine Sinclair: Kind of a Big Deal is available to stream for free across Canada on Knowledge.ca and on YouTube worldwide via @KnowledgeNetworkOfficial as of Friday.
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