The Picture House Regional Film Center has been showing the U.S. Men”™s National Team”™s World Cup matches on the big screen at TPH”™s locations in Bronxville and Pelham. On Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m., you can watch the U.S. play Iran in what is sure to be an emotional match. (In their first match with England, Iranian team members refused to sing their national anthem in protest over human rights abuses in their country and in solidarity with Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in the custody of Iranian morality police. She had been detained for wearing her hijab improperly.)
Adding excitement at home is the fact that this is the first time since 2014 that the United States men”™s team has qualified for a World Cup. For Westchester, there is an element of hometown pride as well: Midfielder Giovanni Reyna, who currently plays for German team Borussia Dortmund, grew up in Bedford.
Despite the controversies over host Qatar”™s own civil and workers”™ rights records and its ban on beer in the stadiums ”“ curtailing Budweiser”™s campaign, which may not be a bad thing, given the rowdiness of soccer fans — Clayton Bushong, director of programming at The Picture House, said, “The World Cup brings people together. It”™s an event that people want to watch in large groups, and at TPH, we believe strongly in the power of shared experiences. Our theaters are a community resource, and this is an exciting opportunity for us to provide a place for people to gather, cheer and experience this global celebration together.”
Supporting the World Cup ”“ and, in this case, Qatar ”“ is also about the delicate complexity of political alliances. Said human rights advocate Tarek Kteleh, M.D.
“Qatar has long cooperated with the United States and NATO in maintaining security in the Persian Gulf. ”¯After the United States withdrew from Afghanistan last year, Qatar helped to evacuate more than 40,000 civilians as the Taliban swiftly took over the country. Qatar has been such a reliable partner that the Biden administration recently designated it a major non-NATO ally.”
Back at The Picture House, there will be a $5 cover charge at the door for the U.S.-Iran match, and concessions, including beer and wine, will be available for sale.
