ARD has dedicated a three-part documentary to Jérôme Boateng. However, the audience was disappointed.
Jérôme Boateng played for FC Bayern for ten years and won many titles with the German record champions. The 37 year old player was also successful with the German national team. The three-part ARD documentary “Being Jérôme Boateng” examines the former defender and tells his career chronologically. In the final episode, the three-part documentary also looks at the Berlin native’s tumultuous personal life.
But therein lies the problem: viewers hoped to get a clearer picture of the former footballer’s final years. Regarding his ex-girlfriend’s allegations of violence, the court process, the death of his ex-partner Kasia Lenhardt. However, this hope did not come true, quite the opposite. The audience had more questions than answers: no wins for anyone.
Boateng commented on Lenhardt and explained in his interview in the newspaper “Bild”, where he humiliated Lenhardt, that this was “a mistake”. However, he did not provide further details regarding this matter. He also said: “It’s important for me to say that he was a really great person and played a big role in my life.” The question arises: Why did Boateng speak in such detail to the tabloid? Then why did he attack Lenhardt in public? There is no answer to this. That’s disappointing.
Boateng complained that he lost loved ones in Lenhardt, but was denied his right to grieve. But he didn’t answer what he looked like inside or what he was like at the moment. He does not reveal any details about his emotional life. All we learn is that he is still coming to terms with his death.
Here the creators should have asked more critical questions or shown a different point of view. Boateng’s mother or his brother, Kevin-Prince, could certainly provide a different perspective on this chapter. No one from Kasia Lenhardt’s circle had a say either. Only his father speaks at the start of the documentary. But it’s all about sport. Anything personal that was important in the Boateng case was lost.
In the end the question arises as to why ARD chose Boateng for this documentary. You don’t know what you want to know more about from the former footballer. Perhaps a three-part series on the careers of Toni Kroos, Mats Hummels or another fellow 2014 World Champion would be more interesting.
