Soon, and for the first time, one of the world’s biggest sporting events takes place on African soil. In the run-up o this historic occasion, Man In The Middle portrays and unlikely hero. This real life documentary follows the story of Jerome Damon, a charismatic young South African, and his quest to reach the heights of one of the world’s most image-obsessed sports.
Jerome is the only South African to be shortlisted to referee at the FIFA World Cup in 2010. As a sports mad teenager, he could never have imagined the world’s biggest sporting event taking place in South Africa, not to mention the opportunity to be a referee. The working-class suburb where he grew up, Athlone in Cape Town, was under virtual siege as apartheid police and political activists fought running battles in the 1980’s. More than two decades later, in a democratic South Africa, his citizen status by no means guarantees him a ‘man in the middle’ position. Luckily he has a strong support system including his assistant, Enock Molefe. Together they are under intense scrutiny before the final announcement of the referee selection.