Blind Ambition (2021) Movie Script
[train rattling]
[upbeat music playing]
[woman] Whoo, every Friday
and Saturday nights,
it's Pata Pata time.
The dance keeps
going all night long
till the morning sun begins
to shine, hey!
-Ahoy, my comrades!
-Ahoy.
-Ahoy, my comrades!
-Ahoy.
-[all laughing and cheering]
-[glasses clink]
You've got these guys
with no interest,
no knowledge of wine.
They get uprooted
from their own country,
virtually forced
over the border
into a foreign country
and what do they end up doing?
[all speaking
in foreign language]
I don't think anyone would say
that Zimbabwe
was in any way
famous for wine
or, you know,
there's hardly wine and
Zimbabwe in the same sentence.
[indistinct chatter]
It's probably
like Egypt putting together
a team of skiers
to go and compete
in the Winter Olympics.
-[all laughing]
-[speaking in foreign language]
-But I'm not convinced
it's Chenin, though.
-For me it's just...
I knew. I already know!
I told you.
[all laughing]
I told you. I told you.
I told you and I know that wine.
I remember well
my very first sip of wine.
And I didn't like it.
So this is actually one
of the finest Sauvignon Blanc
we have here.
It's quite refreshing, crispy,
very good for lunch.
Bit more gooseberries,
tropical fruits coming through,
balanced acidity.
[Pardon] Every time
I could see other waiters
opening bottles of wine,
it was very fascinating.
Like, "Oh, wine.
Must be nice, eh?"
I got sick for two days.
Chenin, chardonnay.
[laughs]
[birds chirping]
[suspenseful music playing]
[church bell dings]
[Philippe De Cantenac speaking]
[speaking in foreign language]
[Jean Vincent "JV" speaking]
It's extremely difficult.
It requires a lot of work,
uh, a lot of knowledge,
good team cohesion,
which is very important
and a bloody bit of luck.
[birds chirping]
If this one can go, it can go.
That can go.
Then we should cut
this one here.
-And here, that's a pity.
-Yeah.
[Jean Vincent "JV" speaking]
He was excited by that.
-[Joseph] Quick question.
-Quick answer.
JV is a good friend
of all of us.
You know, Joseph, it's a bit...
but we'll make a plan.
[Jean Vincent "JV" speaking]
So we decided that okay we are
going to make a Team Zimbabwe
out of the four of us.
[all laughing]
We just needed to find the
money to get to the competition.
[all]
Cheers.
I have never thought
in my entire life that
at some stage
I can represent my country,
that I can be the captain
of my country,
my own country of birth.
I'm living a life
which I have never
actually planned.
[indistinct chatter]
Now we're going to have
something a bit interesting
and a bit different as well.
Thank you very much.
Please enjoy.
Joseph pitched up
at my door one day
looking for work.
He was a refugee.
There was just such an honesty
in his demeanor, in his face,
in his eyes and...
and also desperation
and this willingness to work and
to make a success of himself.
I didn't have a opening
or position for him at the time
but I said to him,
"I've got a vegetable garden
here at the back.
If you're willing to tend
to the garden, you can earn
a bit of money."
I think it was his
birthday
and I offered him a glass
of champagne of bubbles...
and I think there's something
just magically happened.
Very soon afterwards
he started asking questions.
How is this done
and how is it made,
and where does it come from,
and then it just snowballed.
I got so emotional
and I almost cried.
I am going to study
wine now and...
To her, I don't think
it sounded like real.
[slow music playing]
[exhales]
[Joseph]
Things were really tough
in Zimbabwe
and, uh, I really experienced
that myself.
[man 1] Once the beacon of the
African continent Zimbabwe
is facing
its worst financial crisis.
Right now
the economy is shrinking,
unemployment is rising.
[woman 1] Corruption and
economic mismanagement have
pushed Zimbabwe to the brink.
[man 1]
Endless queues for petrol.
Empty shelves in supermarkets
and rapid inflation.
[woman 2]
Many parts of the country are
now without food and fuel.
Seven million people
face starvation.
[upbeat music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
-Long time, my friend.
-How are you?
-How are you doing, eh?
-How are you?
-Thanks. How are you all doing?
-[inaudible]
Hey, Marlvin.
[indistinct dialogue]
-How are you?
-Good.
[Jean]
Ready to taste?
[Joseph]
I mean, it's too young.
[man 2]
Between 2017...
-[Jasper Morris] It's not the
same as drinking wine at all.
- [man 2] ...on the color.
You don't shove the stuff down
your throat and think,
"Oh, that's nice."
It's much more about
the structure of the wine.
Things like acidity, tannin,
sweetness, bitterness.
And then you have color
and aromatics.
And you're using a different
part of your brain as well.
You're using
the analytical side.
Nothing that's actually going
to give you any pleasure.
[Marlvin] Tinashe?
[Marlvin]
Okay.
[Marlvin]
Okay.
Acidity's high.
[Andrew Caillard]
It's very similar to doing
a mathematical equation
and that's
why the best tasters
are people who are quite
logical and quite binary
by the way, in their thinking.
But it's a team sport
so it's not only about
your ability to taste,
it's also about trusting
the other tasters.
That was Grenache.
From where?
We got Grenache?
We got Pinot Noir?
-I'm changing now.
-But you're seeing...
[Jancis Robinson Obe]
You try and come up
with things that it could be
Okay, okay, Nebbiolo.
...and it is immensely rare
for anyone ever,
however expert,
to nail it absolutely.
[Jean]
Okay. Sangiovese Chianti, Italy.
Any producer? Any vintage?
I need an answer now.
-The next wine's coming.
-Vintage?
-'14.
Okay.
You want the answer?
Mostly Grenache.
85% Grenache.
...forgive my French,
you feel like shit.
And... But that's the reality.
It's extremely tough.
And just to give you an idea,
they've changed.
They used to be...
I keep challenging his ego.
I want to be better than him.
So I'm just going to make
a few blends and see
which one comes close.
[glasses clink]
Test Kitchen
is actually the best restaurant
in South Africa
for the past six years
in a row.
The Chenin I love.
I'm just gonna put a bit more.
Tinashe, has been here for...
how many years?
How many years
have you been here now?
Two and a half.
It flies, eh? It's ridiculous.
For the diner,
it's very much about the wine.
It's the first time
I've worked with a sommelier
that really resonates
and that
I can really relate to.
And I think that
if you've got that connection
then you can do special things.
-Getting there.
-That's better, eh?
Yeah.
[Tinashe]
I came to South Africa,
January 2008.
I could sense things
are really getting bad in Zim.
I'd never travelled out
of the country before that.
When I got there, there wasn't
any person of color,
doing any sort of job
I was doing back home,
so the chances
of me being a foreigner
getting that job was like,
uh, impossible.
Those are the realities
that hit you, like...
I spent the early part of
my childhood with my grandfather
and my grandmother.
They were very, very
hard-working people
like big farmers in the area.
I used to go with my grandfather
in the mountains.
I remember as a child
just reaching that top.
It was a sense of achievement,
sitting on top of the world.
It almost took me back home.
Why can't "Wine of Origin"
be where the wine is taking me?
-Joseph
-My peach.
-Thank you.
-All right, guys.
We've got about one minute.
Two minutes.
[clears throat]
And started studying wines
rather than computers.
[all singing Christmas carol]
[all cheering]
I come from a very strong
Christian background
and everything that you do
I've always been told that
you should pray
and God will always provide
because he is the provider,
he's your protector,
he's your savior.
[all talking indistinctly]
So I think it's been blessings
after blessings.
[speaking in foreign language]
-I love you, Mom.
-[Marlvin] Here's your
cornflakes here.
Here's cornflakes.
[speaking in foreign language]
Sings.
God is good.
God is great.
Thank you for our food.
Amen.
-[all] Amen.
-[Skoliwe] Now let's eat.
Eat the cornflakes.
...the wines.
I've also learned to taste
some of the wines with him
just to give him support.
[speaking in foreign language]
[both laughing]
[singing]
[laughs]
[Skoliwe]
He is very dedicated.
He concentrates on what he does.
He pushes, he goes over
the boundaries, even at home.
Aha... Number one.
Number one.
I like competing.
Yes.
-Go, go, go, go!
-Shoot!
[laughs]
Two short ones!
[Pardon] I met Joseph
when I moved to Cape Town
and he was working
at a restaurant in Wellington.
Joseph was selling wine
to a table and I was sitting
by the bar.
[speaking in foreign language]
For me, it sounded like
nonsense at that time.
I was like, okay, you know what?
Just give them, give them
the wine and let them enjoy it.
Then when he came to the bar,
I said, "I heard what
you were saying to that table.
Please tell me more."
He poured a glass of wine.
Then he said, "Taste!"
I tried to be brave.
It was bitter and
not very welcoming on my palate.
Then one sip was one glass.
One glass was two glasses.
Which was a bottle.
That was the start of it.
Joseph will take a muslin and...
[Batsie]
When we met we were working
together back in Zimbabwe.
Then we moved to Cape Town.
We were working
at the same place
so we are always together
so there was no time
to miss him.
-Numbers.
-Numbers and what?
Numbers first.
-Right?
-Colors.
Colors.
No, you are good at colors,
now I want to do numbers.
[speaking in foreign language]
[Batsie]
Things were getting worse back
in Zimbabwe.
We have a baby.
We have to eat.
We have to pay the rent
so it was way better
to come here.
Um...
There was only two classes
in Zimbabwe.
There was only the rich
and the poor.
My father died when I was five.
My mother was a domestic worker.
She literally raised my sister
and me by herself.
My idea of coming
to South Africa was...
I needed to actually
become financially stable,
uh, so that
I can support my mother.
Take off some burden from her...
...and support my family
as well.
But when I made that move...
...that's when she suddenly,
suddenly passed away.
It was hard to cope.
When I think of home,
it's only her that I think of,
and for me
to be going back there,
it means I have to face
the reality that she's gone.
She's no more.
I think she would be very proud.
She was the person
who actually literally told me
every single day that,
"You are just like your father."
Because my father
also liked to excel.
I feel that in me every time
I challenge myself.
-One, two.
-I said I want two guys.
When I come again,
I can take more...
What's your name?
All right, cheers.
Thanks, I'll see you later.
[inaudible] nothing,
just stab you.
-Something you need for them.
-[man 4] Yeah, for them.
Yeah.
[Christa Kuljian] I don't think
that people realized how
difficult it would be for them
when they arrived
in South Africa,
leaving a very desperate
situation in their own country,
wanting to find work
and a new life.
And being confronted with
very difficult circumstances.
[man 5] This is the most
brutal violence the country
has seen since apartheid.
Dozens of immigrants
have been beaten,
stoned or hacked to death in the
settlements around Johannesburg.
[Christa]
No matter
how difficult things were,
people still felt that
they were better off here
than if they were back at home.
It was a humanitarian crisis
that hadn't been anticipated
in terms of the hundreds
of thousands of people
coming to South Africa,
predominantly from Zimbabwe.
[all singing Christmas carols]
[man 6]
This is how Zimbabwean refugees
in Johannesburg
saw out a national holiday
here last night.
These, the flotsam and jetsam
of Robert Mugabe's repressive
regime cramped,
cheek by jowl in the church.
[Christa] There were already
well over 3,000 people
seeking refuge in the church.
Bishop Paul Verryn had a policy
of never turning anyone away.
He wanted to stand by
every single person
that walked into that church
to provide a place
of safety for people,
a place where they could get
back on their feet
and move forward.
Please pray with me.
[tense music playing]
[The Rev Dr. Paul Verryn]
I did what I really don't think
I had an option to do.
The person who really
has done it is Joseph.
You know, he has opened up
the creative space in his mind.
He has recognized that
there is a giftedness in him.
The world needs to wake up
to the fact
that migrants
are not cockroaches
and pests that need
to be stamped out
and regarded as an invasion
of our sacred space.
Some of the most
profoundly developed
and incredibly wonderful minds
don't fit where we think
they belong.
Look at the intensity
of the color...
and I want the first point
in one minute because
we all believe we've got time
but during the competition,
trust me,
the next glass
is coming much faster
than you can imagine.
-You peel the tree bark...
-[Marlvin] Yeah.
Okay.
We've got one minute now, eh.
[Jancis Robinson Obe]
The odds are stacked against
them to train for a competition
where the wine could come from
anywhere in the world.
I mean, London is a great place.
We've got access to most
of the wines of the world
but, um, being in Cape Town
on a tight budget is really
very, very trying.
The world of wine
is very bad at diversity.
I mean,
it's white faces wall to wall
and I thought if we can do
anything to show
what we're missing by being
so exclusively white
then that's a good thing.
So I started a sort of
crowdfunding initiative
and publicized it.
[cell phone beeps]
[Pardon]
I didn't have
that much expectation
that we are going to actually
reach the target in time.
It was like a dream.
Every time I would look through
the crowdfunding
and I'm like 40%.
Now it's like 50, 55.
[Tinashe]
...and The Netherlands.
It was quite
a humbling experience.
We needed a minimum
of 6,500 pounds
in just less than a month
and a half.
We got 8,500 pounds.
[upbeat music playing]
[man 7]
Can you see us?
[man 8 speaking over phone]
Bonjour.
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
Are you happy now?
I know him quite well.
We're very good friends.
Okay. That's good.
All right. Thanks.
[Denis Garret]
Take care of you.
I love you.
[man 7] Love you, too.
Pass our regards to Alex.
Okay. Bye-bye.
-Bye-bye.
-[man 7] Merci.
He's a French crazy character,
uh, but in a good way.
[mellow music playing]
You want to taste?
Ah, simple.
Okay.
Blah, blah, blah.
Bye.
I live now day after day.
[birds chirping]
[engine revving]
No, he is not as good
as he used to be, that's clear,
and he admits it.
I think here what we need
to focus on is not the flower,
the fruit, the bran berry,
it's the texture. Jolette.
It's impossible. It's unethical.
I don't know how I would.
He's a friend but he knows
how much I focus on my team.
Team Zimbabwe decided
to keep Denis.
That's their choice.
Who am I to know better?
-[tire screeches]
-[car horn honks]
Nashe.
Do you want to help Papa pack?
Mm.
You're going to miss Papa.
Help Papa close the bag.
I've got my passport. Yeah.
Still clean, un-stamped.
Got my lovely visa here.
So I'm waiting for that
first one, and I'm out.
-Let's go. Let's go.
-Papa.
Yeah.
My past week has been hectic.
I was working all week
in the restaurant.
And I had a bout of flu
so I didn't have much wines
this week.
I tried to stay off alcohol
so I'm clean, clean, clean.
Papa is going, Nashe.
I hope the flu
won't really affect
but, yeah, we're really...
we're really fine-tuned,
you know.
We're ready to go.
Ready to conquer the world.
Give papa a hug.
Uh, love you.
Give me a kiss. Muah.
All right. Good girl.
[indistinct chatter]
[Pardon]
I am a little bit nervous.
[laughs]
I've never been out of Africa.
-And smiling.
-And smiling, yeah.
He doesn't even sleep.
That's how excited he is,
you know.
[speaking in foreign language]
Amen.
[speaking in foreign language]
Thank you.
Okay.
[speaking in foreign language]
What's up, what's up,
what's up, what's up?
How's it?
I'm calling my Mum.
[line dialing]
-Hello.
-[woman 3] Hello.
-Hey, Mama.
-[woman 3] Hey, [inaudible].
I am at the airport now
with the boys.
We're going now to France so
I will see you when I get back.
Okay, Mama. I love you, all.
[woman 3]
Love you too, [inaudible].
Okay, cheers. Bye. Bye.
[line disconnects]
[mellow music playing]
[Nashe]
Bye!
[Denis vocalizing]
We are going to pick up
my friends.
I'm so glad
they are in France now
and we are going to win the
competition if the cameraman
doesn't disturb them too much.
If they are very relaxed. Okay?
Can you do it? Thank you.
[cell phone ringing]
-[Denis] Hello.
-[man 9] Bonjour.
[Denis]
Oh.
[Denis] How are you, my friend?
You are here.
[man 9] Bonjour.
[cell phone ringing]
Okay.
[all laugh]
[man 10] It's small.
[indistinct dialogue]
[upbeat music playing]
Bonjour!
My name is Denis.
Denis is happy!
[laughs]
Good to see you.
Oh.
-How are you, man?
-I'm fine. How are you?
Good, thanks.
Good to see you.
Good to see you. Good.
Welcome to France.
Hi, Denis.
Hey, Tinashe. I'm good.
How are you?
[Jean]
Both for Team South Africa
and for Team Zimbabwe,
our problem is rare wines,
unusual wines.
And that's why I have put
a program together.
We're going to do this tour,
France and Germany,
arriving in Burgundy.
That's the holy grail
for all wine lovers.
That's what we're doing now.
I could see many people trying
to make... make the competition
Zimbabwe against South Africa.
I'm not interested in that.
I want both teams
to do the best.
Smell well the aromas.
Aromas...
Team SA, come with me.
Team Zim,
see you in ten minutes.
Don't be late, either.
There's more bubbles
waiting for you.
There's going to be training
every day.
Three, four times.
Every time we stop
at least one bottle.
Just to get their palate
and their mind tuned.
Before lunch you're only allowed
to eat if you can find
what wine is that.
Otherwise, no food.
You know, that's motivation.
Thanks, everybody.
Africa. Africa!
[camera shutter clicks]
[upbeat music playing]
Um, yeah, everywhere we can.
We ended up tasting wines,
3am, 3.30.
[Jasper]
You really do have to try
to avoid nerves.
The adrenaline starts pumping
and at that moment
all your tastebuds are muted
and out of balance.
[Pardon]
At one point I remember telling
the guys my palate is numb.
I can't taste anything.
[Jasper]
In the run up
to the competition
maybe do some other form
of displacement activity,
like read a newspaper.
[upbeat music playing]
-[Nashe] Dad.
-[Tinashe] Okay.
Fine, are you sleeping?
-[Nashe] Mummy.
-Where is Mummy?
Where is Mummy?
[Nashe]
Here.
[laughs]
Kiss Mama for me.
All right, bye-bye,
Nashe.
[Nashe]
I love you.
Okay. I love you.
[Nashe]
Goodnight.
Goodnight. Goodnight.
Sleep well.
[Nashe]
Love you.
Love you, too.
[Nashe]
Love you, too.
Bye. You won't finish.
Bye.
This one is too much trouble,
too much trouble.
[all laughing]
[Pardon]
Denis has quite a lot of
connections and many chateaus
where we can go by his
invitation just because he knows
the owners of the chateaus.
At the same time, JV wanted
to have the two teams travelling
together everywhere.
Denis at that point said,
"You know what?"
"I'm going to put
an end to this."
Denis just decided to
try to get a new friend
so he brings, um,
Team Zimbabwe
and the movie crew to a place
he wants to come in,
otherwise he would not
be able to go in it and
he's fucking up all the plans.
Doesn't care about the training.
But it's fine.
It's okay. It's okay.
I'm not their coach.
They do what they want.
I'm not sure he even knows
what his agenda is.
He just wants to make
a new friend and gain legitimacy
or endorsement or credibility
that he's been losing
a long time ago.
Thank you.
[whispers indistinctly]
No, no, JV.
I do what I want.
[Jean] You know being a coach
is first thinking of what's good
for your team.
I know my way to do it
as well because I've been
doing that for five years
so I know what works
and what is a waste of time.
[all laughing]
[Jean]
The reason of my trip
was not to do tourism.
It's not to meet
important people.
It's to expose my team to wines
that they would
not have tasted otherwise.
[laughs]
So when he decided to go
to this one estate
to taste one wine,
while we've been tasting
20 wines...
then I think Denis' image
became more important than
Team Zimbabwe's future.
[birds chirping]
Merci.
Could be.
[man 11]
One, two, three, we go that.
[man 11]
Wine number two.
-No, this one, Denis.
-Yeah, I give you that glass.
-Chteau Trotanoy.
-Okay.
Now we finish game.
It's Bordeaux.
Saint-Julien. 2001.
[all cheering]
Leoville Barton!
You are going to win!
-2001!
-You are going to win.
Oh, la, la!
This looks classy.
I'll need my jacket.
We're probably in front.
Ah, but it's classy.
Classical.
[all talking indistinctly]
Well done. congrats.
You got the trophy.
-Nice to meet you.
-Hello, Joseph.
Joseph.
Wine tasting
is a very humbling experience.
You can be on top of your game
one tasting
and then finish last
the next one.
So you've got to take it all
one competition at a time.
When you come you want
to finish first, of course.
You know that's a French,
you know, way to...
to... to compete.
Uh, but, you know, we know that
it's going to be tough.
We're not scared of anyone.
Not at all.
Who do you see
as your main rivals?
Considering we finished
in last place, everyone.
Right? Yeah.
Hello!
I know who you must be.
-Pardon.
-Marlvin.
-How are you?
-Hi. How's Marlvin?
-Lovely to meet you.
-Are you happy?
-Is everything okay?
-Yes. Very much so.
-Finally.
-Lovely.
Very, very nice.
[Jancis] The amazing thing
that the Zimbabwean guys
have done, for me,
who's been writing
about wine for 42 years
and is rather sort of blas
about the whole thing, you know
and takes wine for granted
is rekindle
the magic of wine really,
by my seeing
what wine has done for them
and the awe
with which they regard wine.
Something very, very special.
This is a lovely song,
which we have decided
to actually sing for everyone,
especially Jancis Robinson.
[singing in foreign language]
[all applauding and cheering]
[birds chirping]
[singing in foreign language]
I'm Zimbabwean.
I was born a Zimbabwean.
I reside in South Africa
but I will die a Zimbabwean.
...guys, we're going
to make history, you know.
We are proud to welcome you
because you are the best
palates in the world.
[all applauding]
[tense music playing]
[inaudible].
Let's discuss.
Allors.
Marlvin...
Wait, wait, wait.
Okay, cool, cool, cool.
Which wine...
[man 12]
He wanted to do
everything in two minutes.
You need to concentrate.
You need to focus.
Those two three, four,
five seconds really matters.
[man 13] He was feeling
a lot of pressure and
he couldn't manage it well.
I feel this is a wine
from a hot climate because
you can feel the alcohol.
I swear to God, I still
get that tennis ball camp.
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
I know where
we're all going now.
I know where we're all going.
Good. From where? Huh?
Then we go down to Italy
but then what's the level of
acidity on this white wine?
-Acidity?
-Acidity, no.
Okay,
then we might rule that out.
Okay, if I tell you Marsanne
does that ring a bell to you?
Marsanne.
Rhne. Yeah.
Yeah, but...
[Joseph] So I told him what
to do and he kept on
doing some stuff,
which I didn't want him to do.
I can't afford to argue
and quarrel in an exam.
[indistinct dialogue]
-What do you think?
-L'Avenir.
-Huh?
-L'Avenir.
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
[Joseph] He had two papers.
The original one,
which is supposed to be marked
and the other one.
We use it as a draft.
I don't know why he was writing
on that original one.
It's the final answer
but we were still arguing,
we weren't sure
of certain wines.
[speaking in foreign language]
[Joseph] We ended up saying,
you know what, Denis,
just sit there,
we will tell you what to do
because otherwise
you're going to just mess
everything up for us.
Okay, guys. Um...
-Okay.
-Don't stress a lot.
[Joseph] It took me some time
to actually get into the rhythm
and communicating
with the guys, like,
"Okay. I'm tasting this, guys.
"I think I've got this."
Thank you very much.
You have to have confidence.
You have to be able to argue
and convince because the moment
when you don't debate
you can miss one or two points.
And a deep purple, guys.
-Wait, wait, wait, Treinspoor.
-Treinspoor.
More, more, more, more,
more, more, more, more.
[inaudible]
Gracias.
Okay, go.
Let's check first.
Let's check.
-This is it.
-Yeah.
Past six months
we've been doing this.
[man 14] The wines were just
super challenging this year.
We struggled on a number
of the reds.
-Number one.
-The first wine.
It started off really well,
block, completely.
It's always difficult.
It's always difficult.
I think we are pretty...
pretty cool, Huh?
Yeah, we are pretty cool.
[all cheering]
[man 15] You hear all these
people telling you what should
have been number seven.
You just want to block it out.
I don't really believe the truth
until Philippe De Cantenac
says, Great Britain first place.
[all applauding and cheering]
[man 16] First of all,
I am going to give you the list
of the wines
you have been tasting
this morning.
Yes.
Very excited about that.
Well, the wine number one,
Chasselas.
[all cheering]
Switzerland. Fendant Fully.
Cave des Amandiers.
Vintage '15.
[Joseph]
Those kinds of wines,
they are really quite obscure.
[Tinashe]
We were never going to get it,
so maybe the next one
we are going to get it.
[man 16]
Wine number two.
Vermentino.
France.
Bellet.
Clos St-Vincent and vintage '16.
And it was, "Okay. Oh, my God."
Riesling. Germany.
Sonnenberg. Palatinate. Pfalz.
Friedrich Becker.
Vintage '11.
[Joseph] Number four was quite
a difficult one to swallow.
[man 16]
Chenin. South Africa.
Stellenbosch. Ken Forrester.
The FMC.
Vintage '15.
[Pardon]
From then on, yeah,
it became a whirlwind.
[man 16]
Cabernet Sauvignon.
We were in Libano.
Grenache.
[man 17] The realization came
but soon after,
I was like okay, guys,
I don't think we did enough
but I just hope we're not last.
[all applauding]
Well, ah, honestly,
it has been a journey.
What's important to us
is just being here.
We're going to make
more friends here and
it's not the end of the journey.
We're going to keep on fighting.
We're going to come back
again next time.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, everyone.
Thank you, the organizers.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[all applauding]
[Tinashe] You know after
everything we had done
and where we had been
and probably in the end
we were a bit over optimistic.
[man 16]
This year's world champions,
it's Sweden!
[all cheering and applauding]
[Tinashe] But I still felt the
disappointment.
I couldn't hide it, actually.
[all talking indistinctly]
Yes. Thank you very much.
Bye.
[birds chirping]
[Tinashe]
I was a bit despondent,
you know. No one loves losing.
Obviously, you have to face
your friends and family
who were really excited
about you
and how do you explain it,
what you're feeling
in your heart like I've
disappointed everyone?
But the response
really shocked me, especially
most of the people in Zim.
People getting motivated
and telling me,
"I'm inspired
by what you're doing."
[both laugh]
[all cheering]
[Joseph]
The most important thing
was to represent the country.
I love Zimbabwe...
but I don't think they know
what they have.
If we all
work together as a unit...
...as one people, one person,
we can put our country
back on track.
We just want to help
the country itself.
The change won't come
from politicians.
We are the change.
[all applauding]
Dude, what is it?
[speaking in foreign language]
[chuckles]
This is such a special place.
When you're up here
your conscience is free.
Your mind is running wild.
I can even feel my ancestors
talking to me now.
Even with the struggles
and tribulations our country
is going through I can still
feel my feet are firmly rooted
in this earth.
Whenever I come here
I know this is where my heart is
and this is where my heart
will always be.
[inaudible]
Team Zimbamwe
[all cheering]
[all singing
in foreign language]
[all applauding]
[foreign language song playing]
[upbeat music playing]
[woman] Whoo, every Friday
and Saturday nights,
it's Pata Pata time.
The dance keeps
going all night long
till the morning sun begins
to shine, hey!
-Ahoy, my comrades!
-Ahoy.
-Ahoy, my comrades!
-Ahoy.
-[all laughing and cheering]
-[glasses clink]
You've got these guys
with no interest,
no knowledge of wine.
They get uprooted
from their own country,
virtually forced
over the border
into a foreign country
and what do they end up doing?
[all speaking
in foreign language]
I don't think anyone would say
that Zimbabwe
was in any way
famous for wine
or, you know,
there's hardly wine and
Zimbabwe in the same sentence.
[indistinct chatter]
It's probably
like Egypt putting together
a team of skiers
to go and compete
in the Winter Olympics.
-[all laughing]
-[speaking in foreign language]
-But I'm not convinced
it's Chenin, though.
-For me it's just...
I knew. I already know!
I told you.
[all laughing]
I told you. I told you.
I told you and I know that wine.
I remember well
my very first sip of wine.
And I didn't like it.
So this is actually one
of the finest Sauvignon Blanc
we have here.
It's quite refreshing, crispy,
very good for lunch.
Bit more gooseberries,
tropical fruits coming through,
balanced acidity.
[Pardon] Every time
I could see other waiters
opening bottles of wine,
it was very fascinating.
Like, "Oh, wine.
Must be nice, eh?"
I got sick for two days.
Chenin, chardonnay.
[laughs]
[birds chirping]
[suspenseful music playing]
[church bell dings]
[Philippe De Cantenac speaking]
[speaking in foreign language]
[Jean Vincent "JV" speaking]
It's extremely difficult.
It requires a lot of work,
uh, a lot of knowledge,
good team cohesion,
which is very important
and a bloody bit of luck.
[birds chirping]
If this one can go, it can go.
That can go.
Then we should cut
this one here.
-And here, that's a pity.
-Yeah.
[Jean Vincent "JV" speaking]
He was excited by that.
-[Joseph] Quick question.
-Quick answer.
JV is a good friend
of all of us.
You know, Joseph, it's a bit...
but we'll make a plan.
[Jean Vincent "JV" speaking]
So we decided that okay we are
going to make a Team Zimbabwe
out of the four of us.
[all laughing]
We just needed to find the
money to get to the competition.
[all]
Cheers.
I have never thought
in my entire life that
at some stage
I can represent my country,
that I can be the captain
of my country,
my own country of birth.
I'm living a life
which I have never
actually planned.
[indistinct chatter]
Now we're going to have
something a bit interesting
and a bit different as well.
Thank you very much.
Please enjoy.
Joseph pitched up
at my door one day
looking for work.
He was a refugee.
There was just such an honesty
in his demeanor, in his face,
in his eyes and...
and also desperation
and this willingness to work and
to make a success of himself.
I didn't have a opening
or position for him at the time
but I said to him,
"I've got a vegetable garden
here at the back.
If you're willing to tend
to the garden, you can earn
a bit of money."
I think it was his
birthday
and I offered him a glass
of champagne of bubbles...
and I think there's something
just magically happened.
Very soon afterwards
he started asking questions.
How is this done
and how is it made,
and where does it come from,
and then it just snowballed.
I got so emotional
and I almost cried.
I am going to study
wine now and...
To her, I don't think
it sounded like real.
[slow music playing]
[exhales]
[Joseph]
Things were really tough
in Zimbabwe
and, uh, I really experienced
that myself.
[man 1] Once the beacon of the
African continent Zimbabwe
is facing
its worst financial crisis.
Right now
the economy is shrinking,
unemployment is rising.
[woman 1] Corruption and
economic mismanagement have
pushed Zimbabwe to the brink.
[man 1]
Endless queues for petrol.
Empty shelves in supermarkets
and rapid inflation.
[woman 2]
Many parts of the country are
now without food and fuel.
Seven million people
face starvation.
[upbeat music playing]
[indistinct chatter]
-Long time, my friend.
-How are you?
-How are you doing, eh?
-How are you?
-Thanks. How are you all doing?
-[inaudible]
Hey, Marlvin.
[indistinct dialogue]
-How are you?
-Good.
[Jean]
Ready to taste?
[Joseph]
I mean, it's too young.
[man 2]
Between 2017...
-[Jasper Morris] It's not the
same as drinking wine at all.
- [man 2] ...on the color.
You don't shove the stuff down
your throat and think,
"Oh, that's nice."
It's much more about
the structure of the wine.
Things like acidity, tannin,
sweetness, bitterness.
And then you have color
and aromatics.
And you're using a different
part of your brain as well.
You're using
the analytical side.
Nothing that's actually going
to give you any pleasure.
[Marlvin] Tinashe?
[Marlvin]
Okay.
[Marlvin]
Okay.
Acidity's high.
[Andrew Caillard]
It's very similar to doing
a mathematical equation
and that's
why the best tasters
are people who are quite
logical and quite binary
by the way, in their thinking.
But it's a team sport
so it's not only about
your ability to taste,
it's also about trusting
the other tasters.
That was Grenache.
From where?
We got Grenache?
We got Pinot Noir?
-I'm changing now.
-But you're seeing...
[Jancis Robinson Obe]
You try and come up
with things that it could be
Okay, okay, Nebbiolo.
...and it is immensely rare
for anyone ever,
however expert,
to nail it absolutely.
[Jean]
Okay. Sangiovese Chianti, Italy.
Any producer? Any vintage?
I need an answer now.
-The next wine's coming.
-Vintage?
-'14.
Okay.
You want the answer?
Mostly Grenache.
85% Grenache.
...forgive my French,
you feel like shit.
And... But that's the reality.
It's extremely tough.
And just to give you an idea,
they've changed.
They used to be...
I keep challenging his ego.
I want to be better than him.
So I'm just going to make
a few blends and see
which one comes close.
[glasses clink]
Test Kitchen
is actually the best restaurant
in South Africa
for the past six years
in a row.
The Chenin I love.
I'm just gonna put a bit more.
Tinashe, has been here for...
how many years?
How many years
have you been here now?
Two and a half.
It flies, eh? It's ridiculous.
For the diner,
it's very much about the wine.
It's the first time
I've worked with a sommelier
that really resonates
and that
I can really relate to.
And I think that
if you've got that connection
then you can do special things.
-Getting there.
-That's better, eh?
Yeah.
[Tinashe]
I came to South Africa,
January 2008.
I could sense things
are really getting bad in Zim.
I'd never travelled out
of the country before that.
When I got there, there wasn't
any person of color,
doing any sort of job
I was doing back home,
so the chances
of me being a foreigner
getting that job was like,
uh, impossible.
Those are the realities
that hit you, like...
I spent the early part of
my childhood with my grandfather
and my grandmother.
They were very, very
hard-working people
like big farmers in the area.
I used to go with my grandfather
in the mountains.
I remember as a child
just reaching that top.
It was a sense of achievement,
sitting on top of the world.
It almost took me back home.
Why can't "Wine of Origin"
be where the wine is taking me?
-Joseph
-My peach.
-Thank you.
-All right, guys.
We've got about one minute.
Two minutes.
[clears throat]
And started studying wines
rather than computers.
[all singing Christmas carol]
[all cheering]
I come from a very strong
Christian background
and everything that you do
I've always been told that
you should pray
and God will always provide
because he is the provider,
he's your protector,
he's your savior.
[all talking indistinctly]
So I think it's been blessings
after blessings.
[speaking in foreign language]
-I love you, Mom.
-[Marlvin] Here's your
cornflakes here.
Here's cornflakes.
[speaking in foreign language]
Sings.
God is good.
God is great.
Thank you for our food.
Amen.
-[all] Amen.
-[Skoliwe] Now let's eat.
Eat the cornflakes.
...the wines.
I've also learned to taste
some of the wines with him
just to give him support.
[speaking in foreign language]
[both laughing]
[singing]
[laughs]
[Skoliwe]
He is very dedicated.
He concentrates on what he does.
He pushes, he goes over
the boundaries, even at home.
Aha... Number one.
Number one.
I like competing.
Yes.
-Go, go, go, go!
-Shoot!
[laughs]
Two short ones!
[Pardon] I met Joseph
when I moved to Cape Town
and he was working
at a restaurant in Wellington.
Joseph was selling wine
to a table and I was sitting
by the bar.
[speaking in foreign language]
For me, it sounded like
nonsense at that time.
I was like, okay, you know what?
Just give them, give them
the wine and let them enjoy it.
Then when he came to the bar,
I said, "I heard what
you were saying to that table.
Please tell me more."
He poured a glass of wine.
Then he said, "Taste!"
I tried to be brave.
It was bitter and
not very welcoming on my palate.
Then one sip was one glass.
One glass was two glasses.
Which was a bottle.
That was the start of it.
Joseph will take a muslin and...
[Batsie]
When we met we were working
together back in Zimbabwe.
Then we moved to Cape Town.
We were working
at the same place
so we are always together
so there was no time
to miss him.
-Numbers.
-Numbers and what?
Numbers first.
-Right?
-Colors.
Colors.
No, you are good at colors,
now I want to do numbers.
[speaking in foreign language]
[Batsie]
Things were getting worse back
in Zimbabwe.
We have a baby.
We have to eat.
We have to pay the rent
so it was way better
to come here.
Um...
There was only two classes
in Zimbabwe.
There was only the rich
and the poor.
My father died when I was five.
My mother was a domestic worker.
She literally raised my sister
and me by herself.
My idea of coming
to South Africa was...
I needed to actually
become financially stable,
uh, so that
I can support my mother.
Take off some burden from her...
...and support my family
as well.
But when I made that move...
...that's when she suddenly,
suddenly passed away.
It was hard to cope.
When I think of home,
it's only her that I think of,
and for me
to be going back there,
it means I have to face
the reality that she's gone.
She's no more.
I think she would be very proud.
She was the person
who actually literally told me
every single day that,
"You are just like your father."
Because my father
also liked to excel.
I feel that in me every time
I challenge myself.
-One, two.
-I said I want two guys.
When I come again,
I can take more...
What's your name?
All right, cheers.
Thanks, I'll see you later.
[inaudible] nothing,
just stab you.
-Something you need for them.
-[man 4] Yeah, for them.
Yeah.
[Christa Kuljian] I don't think
that people realized how
difficult it would be for them
when they arrived
in South Africa,
leaving a very desperate
situation in their own country,
wanting to find work
and a new life.
And being confronted with
very difficult circumstances.
[man 5] This is the most
brutal violence the country
has seen since apartheid.
Dozens of immigrants
have been beaten,
stoned or hacked to death in the
settlements around Johannesburg.
[Christa]
No matter
how difficult things were,
people still felt that
they were better off here
than if they were back at home.
It was a humanitarian crisis
that hadn't been anticipated
in terms of the hundreds
of thousands of people
coming to South Africa,
predominantly from Zimbabwe.
[all singing Christmas carols]
[man 6]
This is how Zimbabwean refugees
in Johannesburg
saw out a national holiday
here last night.
These, the flotsam and jetsam
of Robert Mugabe's repressive
regime cramped,
cheek by jowl in the church.
[Christa] There were already
well over 3,000 people
seeking refuge in the church.
Bishop Paul Verryn had a policy
of never turning anyone away.
He wanted to stand by
every single person
that walked into that church
to provide a place
of safety for people,
a place where they could get
back on their feet
and move forward.
Please pray with me.
[tense music playing]
[The Rev Dr. Paul Verryn]
I did what I really don't think
I had an option to do.
The person who really
has done it is Joseph.
You know, he has opened up
the creative space in his mind.
He has recognized that
there is a giftedness in him.
The world needs to wake up
to the fact
that migrants
are not cockroaches
and pests that need
to be stamped out
and regarded as an invasion
of our sacred space.
Some of the most
profoundly developed
and incredibly wonderful minds
don't fit where we think
they belong.
Look at the intensity
of the color...
and I want the first point
in one minute because
we all believe we've got time
but during the competition,
trust me,
the next glass
is coming much faster
than you can imagine.
-You peel the tree bark...
-[Marlvin] Yeah.
Okay.
We've got one minute now, eh.
[Jancis Robinson Obe]
The odds are stacked against
them to train for a competition
where the wine could come from
anywhere in the world.
I mean, London is a great place.
We've got access to most
of the wines of the world
but, um, being in Cape Town
on a tight budget is really
very, very trying.
The world of wine
is very bad at diversity.
I mean,
it's white faces wall to wall
and I thought if we can do
anything to show
what we're missing by being
so exclusively white
then that's a good thing.
So I started a sort of
crowdfunding initiative
and publicized it.
[cell phone beeps]
[Pardon]
I didn't have
that much expectation
that we are going to actually
reach the target in time.
It was like a dream.
Every time I would look through
the crowdfunding
and I'm like 40%.
Now it's like 50, 55.
[Tinashe]
...and The Netherlands.
It was quite
a humbling experience.
We needed a minimum
of 6,500 pounds
in just less than a month
and a half.
We got 8,500 pounds.
[upbeat music playing]
[man 7]
Can you see us?
[man 8 speaking over phone]
Bonjour.
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
Are you happy now?
I know him quite well.
We're very good friends.
Okay. That's good.
All right. Thanks.
[Denis Garret]
Take care of you.
I love you.
[man 7] Love you, too.
Pass our regards to Alex.
Okay. Bye-bye.
-Bye-bye.
-[man 7] Merci.
He's a French crazy character,
uh, but in a good way.
[mellow music playing]
You want to taste?
Ah, simple.
Okay.
Blah, blah, blah.
Bye.
I live now day after day.
[birds chirping]
[engine revving]
No, he is not as good
as he used to be, that's clear,
and he admits it.
I think here what we need
to focus on is not the flower,
the fruit, the bran berry,
it's the texture. Jolette.
It's impossible. It's unethical.
I don't know how I would.
He's a friend but he knows
how much I focus on my team.
Team Zimbabwe decided
to keep Denis.
That's their choice.
Who am I to know better?
-[tire screeches]
-[car horn honks]
Nashe.
Do you want to help Papa pack?
Mm.
You're going to miss Papa.
Help Papa close the bag.
I've got my passport. Yeah.
Still clean, un-stamped.
Got my lovely visa here.
So I'm waiting for that
first one, and I'm out.
-Let's go. Let's go.
-Papa.
Yeah.
My past week has been hectic.
I was working all week
in the restaurant.
And I had a bout of flu
so I didn't have much wines
this week.
I tried to stay off alcohol
so I'm clean, clean, clean.
Papa is going, Nashe.
I hope the flu
won't really affect
but, yeah, we're really...
we're really fine-tuned,
you know.
We're ready to go.
Ready to conquer the world.
Give papa a hug.
Uh, love you.
Give me a kiss. Muah.
All right. Good girl.
[indistinct chatter]
[Pardon]
I am a little bit nervous.
[laughs]
I've never been out of Africa.
-And smiling.
-And smiling, yeah.
He doesn't even sleep.
That's how excited he is,
you know.
[speaking in foreign language]
Amen.
[speaking in foreign language]
Thank you.
Okay.
[speaking in foreign language]
What's up, what's up,
what's up, what's up?
How's it?
I'm calling my Mum.
[line dialing]
-Hello.
-[woman 3] Hello.
-Hey, Mama.
-[woman 3] Hey, [inaudible].
I am at the airport now
with the boys.
We're going now to France so
I will see you when I get back.
Okay, Mama. I love you, all.
[woman 3]
Love you too, [inaudible].
Okay, cheers. Bye. Bye.
[line disconnects]
[mellow music playing]
[Nashe]
Bye!
[Denis vocalizing]
We are going to pick up
my friends.
I'm so glad
they are in France now
and we are going to win the
competition if the cameraman
doesn't disturb them too much.
If they are very relaxed. Okay?
Can you do it? Thank you.
[cell phone ringing]
-[Denis] Hello.
-[man 9] Bonjour.
[Denis]
Oh.
[Denis] How are you, my friend?
You are here.
[man 9] Bonjour.
[cell phone ringing]
Okay.
[all laugh]
[man 10] It's small.
[indistinct dialogue]
[upbeat music playing]
Bonjour!
My name is Denis.
Denis is happy!
[laughs]
Good to see you.
Oh.
-How are you, man?
-I'm fine. How are you?
Good, thanks.
Good to see you.
Good to see you. Good.
Welcome to France.
Hi, Denis.
Hey, Tinashe. I'm good.
How are you?
[Jean]
Both for Team South Africa
and for Team Zimbabwe,
our problem is rare wines,
unusual wines.
And that's why I have put
a program together.
We're going to do this tour,
France and Germany,
arriving in Burgundy.
That's the holy grail
for all wine lovers.
That's what we're doing now.
I could see many people trying
to make... make the competition
Zimbabwe against South Africa.
I'm not interested in that.
I want both teams
to do the best.
Smell well the aromas.
Aromas...
Team SA, come with me.
Team Zim,
see you in ten minutes.
Don't be late, either.
There's more bubbles
waiting for you.
There's going to be training
every day.
Three, four times.
Every time we stop
at least one bottle.
Just to get their palate
and their mind tuned.
Before lunch you're only allowed
to eat if you can find
what wine is that.
Otherwise, no food.
You know, that's motivation.
Thanks, everybody.
Africa. Africa!
[camera shutter clicks]
[upbeat music playing]
Um, yeah, everywhere we can.
We ended up tasting wines,
3am, 3.30.
[Jasper]
You really do have to try
to avoid nerves.
The adrenaline starts pumping
and at that moment
all your tastebuds are muted
and out of balance.
[Pardon]
At one point I remember telling
the guys my palate is numb.
I can't taste anything.
[Jasper]
In the run up
to the competition
maybe do some other form
of displacement activity,
like read a newspaper.
[upbeat music playing]
-[Nashe] Dad.
-[Tinashe] Okay.
Fine, are you sleeping?
-[Nashe] Mummy.
-Where is Mummy?
Where is Mummy?
[Nashe]
Here.
[laughs]
Kiss Mama for me.
All right, bye-bye,
Nashe.
[Nashe]
I love you.
Okay. I love you.
[Nashe]
Goodnight.
Goodnight. Goodnight.
Sleep well.
[Nashe]
Love you.
Love you, too.
[Nashe]
Love you, too.
Bye. You won't finish.
Bye.
This one is too much trouble,
too much trouble.
[all laughing]
[Pardon]
Denis has quite a lot of
connections and many chateaus
where we can go by his
invitation just because he knows
the owners of the chateaus.
At the same time, JV wanted
to have the two teams travelling
together everywhere.
Denis at that point said,
"You know what?"
"I'm going to put
an end to this."
Denis just decided to
try to get a new friend
so he brings, um,
Team Zimbabwe
and the movie crew to a place
he wants to come in,
otherwise he would not
be able to go in it and
he's fucking up all the plans.
Doesn't care about the training.
But it's fine.
It's okay. It's okay.
I'm not their coach.
They do what they want.
I'm not sure he even knows
what his agenda is.
He just wants to make
a new friend and gain legitimacy
or endorsement or credibility
that he's been losing
a long time ago.
Thank you.
[whispers indistinctly]
No, no, JV.
I do what I want.
[Jean] You know being a coach
is first thinking of what's good
for your team.
I know my way to do it
as well because I've been
doing that for five years
so I know what works
and what is a waste of time.
[all laughing]
[Jean]
The reason of my trip
was not to do tourism.
It's not to meet
important people.
It's to expose my team to wines
that they would
not have tasted otherwise.
[laughs]
So when he decided to go
to this one estate
to taste one wine,
while we've been tasting
20 wines...
then I think Denis' image
became more important than
Team Zimbabwe's future.
[birds chirping]
Merci.
Could be.
[man 11]
One, two, three, we go that.
[man 11]
Wine number two.
-No, this one, Denis.
-Yeah, I give you that glass.
-Chteau Trotanoy.
-Okay.
Now we finish game.
It's Bordeaux.
Saint-Julien. 2001.
[all cheering]
Leoville Barton!
You are going to win!
-2001!
-You are going to win.
Oh, la, la!
This looks classy.
I'll need my jacket.
We're probably in front.
Ah, but it's classy.
Classical.
[all talking indistinctly]
Well done. congrats.
You got the trophy.
-Nice to meet you.
-Hello, Joseph.
Joseph.
Wine tasting
is a very humbling experience.
You can be on top of your game
one tasting
and then finish last
the next one.
So you've got to take it all
one competition at a time.
When you come you want
to finish first, of course.
You know that's a French,
you know, way to...
to... to compete.
Uh, but, you know, we know that
it's going to be tough.
We're not scared of anyone.
Not at all.
Who do you see
as your main rivals?
Considering we finished
in last place, everyone.
Right? Yeah.
Hello!
I know who you must be.
-Pardon.
-Marlvin.
-How are you?
-Hi. How's Marlvin?
-Lovely to meet you.
-Are you happy?
-Is everything okay?
-Yes. Very much so.
-Finally.
-Lovely.
Very, very nice.
[Jancis] The amazing thing
that the Zimbabwean guys
have done, for me,
who's been writing
about wine for 42 years
and is rather sort of blas
about the whole thing, you know
and takes wine for granted
is rekindle
the magic of wine really,
by my seeing
what wine has done for them
and the awe
with which they regard wine.
Something very, very special.
This is a lovely song,
which we have decided
to actually sing for everyone,
especially Jancis Robinson.
[singing in foreign language]
[all applauding and cheering]
[birds chirping]
[singing in foreign language]
I'm Zimbabwean.
I was born a Zimbabwean.
I reside in South Africa
but I will die a Zimbabwean.
...guys, we're going
to make history, you know.
We are proud to welcome you
because you are the best
palates in the world.
[all applauding]
[tense music playing]
[inaudible].
Let's discuss.
Allors.
Marlvin...
Wait, wait, wait.
Okay, cool, cool, cool.
Which wine...
[man 12]
He wanted to do
everything in two minutes.
You need to concentrate.
You need to focus.
Those two three, four,
five seconds really matters.
[man 13] He was feeling
a lot of pressure and
he couldn't manage it well.
I feel this is a wine
from a hot climate because
you can feel the alcohol.
I swear to God, I still
get that tennis ball camp.
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
I know where
we're all going now.
I know where we're all going.
Good. From where? Huh?
Then we go down to Italy
but then what's the level of
acidity on this white wine?
-Acidity?
-Acidity, no.
Okay,
then we might rule that out.
Okay, if I tell you Marsanne
does that ring a bell to you?
Marsanne.
Rhne. Yeah.
Yeah, but...
[Joseph] So I told him what
to do and he kept on
doing some stuff,
which I didn't want him to do.
I can't afford to argue
and quarrel in an exam.
[indistinct dialogue]
-What do you think?
-L'Avenir.
-Huh?
-L'Avenir.
[speaking in foreign language]
[speaking in foreign language]
[Joseph] He had two papers.
The original one,
which is supposed to be marked
and the other one.
We use it as a draft.
I don't know why he was writing
on that original one.
It's the final answer
but we were still arguing,
we weren't sure
of certain wines.
[speaking in foreign language]
[Joseph] We ended up saying,
you know what, Denis,
just sit there,
we will tell you what to do
because otherwise
you're going to just mess
everything up for us.
Okay, guys. Um...
-Okay.
-Don't stress a lot.
[Joseph] It took me some time
to actually get into the rhythm
and communicating
with the guys, like,
"Okay. I'm tasting this, guys.
"I think I've got this."
Thank you very much.
You have to have confidence.
You have to be able to argue
and convince because the moment
when you don't debate
you can miss one or two points.
And a deep purple, guys.
-Wait, wait, wait, Treinspoor.
-Treinspoor.
More, more, more, more,
more, more, more, more.
[inaudible]
Gracias.
Okay, go.
Let's check first.
Let's check.
-This is it.
-Yeah.
Past six months
we've been doing this.
[man 14] The wines were just
super challenging this year.
We struggled on a number
of the reds.
-Number one.
-The first wine.
It started off really well,
block, completely.
It's always difficult.
It's always difficult.
I think we are pretty...
pretty cool, Huh?
Yeah, we are pretty cool.
[all cheering]
[man 15] You hear all these
people telling you what should
have been number seven.
You just want to block it out.
I don't really believe the truth
until Philippe De Cantenac
says, Great Britain first place.
[all applauding and cheering]
[man 16] First of all,
I am going to give you the list
of the wines
you have been tasting
this morning.
Yes.
Very excited about that.
Well, the wine number one,
Chasselas.
[all cheering]
Switzerland. Fendant Fully.
Cave des Amandiers.
Vintage '15.
[Joseph]
Those kinds of wines,
they are really quite obscure.
[Tinashe]
We were never going to get it,
so maybe the next one
we are going to get it.
[man 16]
Wine number two.
Vermentino.
France.
Bellet.
Clos St-Vincent and vintage '16.
And it was, "Okay. Oh, my God."
Riesling. Germany.
Sonnenberg. Palatinate. Pfalz.
Friedrich Becker.
Vintage '11.
[Joseph] Number four was quite
a difficult one to swallow.
[man 16]
Chenin. South Africa.
Stellenbosch. Ken Forrester.
The FMC.
Vintage '15.
[Pardon]
From then on, yeah,
it became a whirlwind.
[man 16]
Cabernet Sauvignon.
We were in Libano.
Grenache.
[man 17] The realization came
but soon after,
I was like okay, guys,
I don't think we did enough
but I just hope we're not last.
[all applauding]
Well, ah, honestly,
it has been a journey.
What's important to us
is just being here.
We're going to make
more friends here and
it's not the end of the journey.
We're going to keep on fighting.
We're going to come back
again next time.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, everyone.
Thank you, the organizers.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[all applauding]
[Tinashe] You know after
everything we had done
and where we had been
and probably in the end
we were a bit over optimistic.
[man 16]
This year's world champions,
it's Sweden!
[all cheering and applauding]
[Tinashe] But I still felt the
disappointment.
I couldn't hide it, actually.
[all talking indistinctly]
Yes. Thank you very much.
Bye.
[birds chirping]
[Tinashe]
I was a bit despondent,
you know. No one loves losing.
Obviously, you have to face
your friends and family
who were really excited
about you
and how do you explain it,
what you're feeling
in your heart like I've
disappointed everyone?
But the response
really shocked me, especially
most of the people in Zim.
People getting motivated
and telling me,
"I'm inspired
by what you're doing."
[both laugh]
[all cheering]
[Joseph]
The most important thing
was to represent the country.
I love Zimbabwe...
but I don't think they know
what they have.
If we all
work together as a unit...
...as one people, one person,
we can put our country
back on track.
We just want to help
the country itself.
The change won't come
from politicians.
We are the change.
[all applauding]
Dude, what is it?
[speaking in foreign language]
[chuckles]
This is such a special place.
When you're up here
your conscience is free.
Your mind is running wild.
I can even feel my ancestors
talking to me now.
Even with the struggles
and tribulations our country
is going through I can still
feel my feet are firmly rooted
in this earth.
Whenever I come here
I know this is where my heart is
and this is where my heart
will always be.
[inaudible]
Team Zimbamwe
[all cheering]
[all singing
in foreign language]
[all applauding]
[foreign language song playing]