Marshawn Lynch: A History

American football player Marshawn Lynch made a furor as running back with the nickname “Beast Mode.” But he also got attention off the field, primarily for refusing to talk to the media. Only after getting fined by the National Football League did he begin showing up for interviews, and then only giving short answers such as “Yeah,” “I'm thankful” or “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” He was also reviled by American Republicans when, as a form of protest, he refused to stand up for the national anthem.

In a sharp and witty manner, this film studies his recalcitrance and uniqueness in a dizzying montage of 700 image fragments and quotations from a variety of sources, such as YouTube and Dr Seuss. The film also shows that Lynch’s birthplace of Oakland, California has brought forth other stubborn and rebellious personalities, such as the writer Gertrude Stein and the revolutionary Black Panther Party. In the end, the evidence brought before us suggests a political side to Lynch’s nonconformism: silence as rebellion.