In the ambitious Netflix series Human Playground 24 sports are covered, fromreindeer racing in Finland to capoeira war dance in Brazil to stick fighting(‘donga’) in Ethiopia. But ask Idris Elba, the British actor of Luther and_The Wire_ who is invariably referred to as the new – and first black – JamesBond, which of those sports he would most like to do, and he talks about anold tradition from Friesland. ‘I’d love to have a blast. Climbing the polelooks fun and tough. And I like the history of it, of the farmers having tocross ditches.’
Elba (50) gives a telephone interview the Volkskran t because of hisinvolvement with Human Playground. It is the first documentary produced inthe Netherlands that can be seen worldwide on Netflix. Elba is the voice-overand executive producer of the six-part series, which was filmed in 25countries. How did he get involved in the Dutch initiative? “I was invited tosee the first episode and immediately loved it. I wanted to participate insuch a series, which shows stories that we have not seen before. I havelearned so much about cultures.’
Human Playground depicts the universal need for sport and play. In the firstepisode it is about the Paris-Roubaix cycling race and the camera follows theDutch Ellen van Dijk. She starts out as one of the favorites, but goes downhard twice. The footage showing her tires slipping and her helmeted headbouncing off the cobblestones are horribly detailed. Later another Dutchmanpasses by: in the fierljeppen dairy farmer Ysbrand Galama – ‘If you have theDutch record, you are also a world record holder’ – does not fulfill hisfavorite role either.
Human Playground on Netflix
Many of the sports in Human Playground passing have been practiced by localcommunities for centuries. Much attention is paid to traditions and rituals.You can see how a screeching bumblebee of the Betsileo, an ethnic group fromMadagascar, is circumcised, after which his grandfather puts the foreskin inhis mouth and, with the help of a banana, swallows it. This is followed by aceremonial week of sports, such as savika, a perilous mixture of bullfightingand rodeo, captured with beautiful drone footage. “I found it fascinating tosee how much risk they take,” says Elba. “Instead of avoiding the bull, theycling to it.”
The sports that Elba takes part in are also not without danger. Besidesfootball – he is a big Arsenal fan – he does kickboxing. Five years ago, whenhe was 44, he made his professional debut. After a year of preparation, duringwhich he was followed for the documentary Idris Elba: Fighter , he took onthe more than ten years younger Dutchman Lionel Graves. “He fought at Mike’sGym, a respected kickboxing gym,” Elba says. “Because of that documentary, Ihad so much to lose that I wasn’t willing to lose.” He knocked out Graves inthe first round.
Elba, who grew up in Hackney, a poor neighborhood in London, has his ownboxing gym, which can be seen in the NPO 3 broadcast Idris Elba ‘s FightSchool. Eight young people from deprived areas receive three months oftraining. This is not his only demonstration of social commitment: he supportscancer research, is committed to the fight against AIDS and, together with hiswife, is UN ambassador for the International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment. In that capacity, he met last year with French President EmmanuelMacron.
The versatile Elba is an actor above all else. In the crime drama The Wire_he played the cold-blooded drug lord Stringer Bell between 2002 and 2004,according to _Esquir e ‘the best character in the best TV show ever’. Anothermemorable role was that of the tormented detective John Luther in the series_Luther_ (2010-2019). In the movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) heplayed Nelson Mandela – the South African freedom fighter died on the night ofthe gala premiere.
Human Playground started as a photo book by the Flemish photographerHannelore Vandenbussche. When she wanted to turn it into a multimedia project,she teamed up with the Dutchman Isidoor Roebers of the producer Scenery.Together they went to Netflix, which responded positively. Wealthyentrepreneur Marcel Boekhoorn got involved as an executive producer.
Elba liked working with Dutch people. “The director, Tomas Kaan, is incrediblyinnovative,” he says. “Many subjects in the series are culturally delicate,and he handled them very skillfully.” He came to Amsterdam a number of timesto record the voice-over. ‘I sailed through the canals for the first time.Considering my height (1.89 meters, red. ) I was quite nervous as weapproached bridges, but it turned out okay.’
Human Playground is available on Netflix.