THE STORY
Act 1: The Crucible of Venice
Venice, California, serves as a paradoxical canvas where the beauty of its sunsets clashes with the gritty realities of its streets.
We’re introduced to The Wolf Pack, the Venice High women’s football team, who have just lost to their fierce rivals. Palisades High ending its dream of a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
The Wolf Pack is known for their unorthodox approach to the game using the principles of Wolf Theory, known to howl at the full moon, emphasizing their connection not only among themselves but with the universe at large.
Their unconventional tactics have led them to become City Champions, a first in the school’s century-long history but, we join them in their journey to rebuild and the ultimate boon in the season ahead.
We embark on their road to reaching the State Championship and defeating Palisades High School, the wealthy, predominantly white school that has long stood in their path to state glory.
Johanna, a coach and former Venice High alum embodies the struggle and spirit of Venice. Raised in the notorious Mar Vista Gardens by undocumented parents, Johanna’s path is riddled with obstacles: mental health battles, the pressures of providing for her family, and the challenges of navigating a world that seems perpetually against her.
Her journey unfolds through a montage of her day-to-day life: working late into the night at In-n-Out, studying by the dim light of her small apartment, and coaching young hopefuls at VBFC. A poignant moment captures her teaching a young girl to juggle a football, her laughter echoing in the empty park.
Amid this backdrop, we meet Alex, a standout player on the team grappling with her issues. The love for the game she once knew is tarnished by the pressure from her pushy father, straining their relationship and her place within the team.
Act 2: Inner Demons
We meet Alex’s internal conflict comes to life during a tense game where her father’s shouts drown out the cheers. A close-up captures her moment of hesitation on the field, the weight of her father’s expectations clashing with her love for the game. The scene shifts to a heated argument at home, where tears and accusations reveal the deep fractures in their relationship.
Meanwhile, we meet Juan once a promising player at Venice High but was sent back to Mexico to escape gang violence, Juan’s return to Venice and subsequent descent into homelessness illustrate the city’s harsh realities. His story provides a poignant contrast to the dreams nurtured on the football field. He is offered a coaching role at VBFC
Meanwhile, Tim’s personal journey from a troubled childhood to playing football across the globe has imbued him with a deep empathy for Venice’s youth. His dream of offering an alternative to the pay-to-play system in youth sports is both noble and fraught with challenges, particularly in navigating the complexities of business and sponsorship.
Laddie and the Oakwood Elders have had enough with the dogs OAKWOOD and decide to claim OAKWOOD as an Historic Black monument. The gentrifiers’ dogs, the new symbols of the battle against white privilege, defecate on the field, tear up the turf, and with alarming frequency scare the kids despite the signs that explicitly said “NO DOGS.”
Lucky’s narrative introduces a complex history of gang involvement and how his troubled past was a longing for community, the very thing that is being eroded now.
As a father figure in the community and to his son Joshua, a young player at VBFC, Lucky’s journey is a search for redemption and a positive legacy amidst the scars of his past highlighting the complex interplay between individual choices and systemic forces.
Act 3: Echoes
Preparation for the State Championship intensifies, with The Wolf Pack undergoing rigorous training, underscored by Johanna’s challenges. Her strength, despite adversity, becomes a rallying point for the team, illustrating the power of community support.
Alex’s familial discord is compounded when a scandalous affair between a teammate and her boyfriend comes to light, testing the limits of the team’s unity and threatening to divide the pack.
Over at VBFC, Tim’s vision for the club is tested when a potential partnership with a major sports brand falls through the clash of ideals. A development that threatens the future of VBFC.
Lucky’s son Joshua is at a crossroads and is increasingly reliant on the structure and normality of VBFC, if VBFC ceases to exist Lucky is fearful that Joshua will end up following the path that he did.
Amidst the setback, Tim’s past comes back to haunt him, as he confronts unresolved issues with his estranged father, who appears unexpectedly, offering both a chance for reconciliation and the risk of old wounds reopening.
A dog has bitten one of the local kids at practice at OAKWOOD. The 10-year-old's arm is broken and gashed but LAPD shows no sympathy towards the victim or his family. The battle against systemic injustice with the LAPD continues.
Act 4: No Good Ghetto Girls
The fight over Oakwood Park becomes a central storyline. VBFC help the Oakwood Elders organize a protest after the young boy was bitten by a dog at OAKWOOD but the protest is broken up by the LAPD for not having a permit.
Their fight for Historic Monument status is precarious, with nefarious forces (developers) seemingly in the way.
Meanwhile, Johanna’s battles with depression and family trauma resurface, testing her newfound sense of purpose. She is forced to confront her past and struggles to support her sister through her struggles with mental health, Johanna begins to question her place in the world and the possibility of finding redemption.
Wolf Pack’s journey through the football season is marked by both triumphs and trials. Each game brings them closer to their dream of winning the State Championship, but the rivalry with Palisades High School intensifies. Off the field, the characters face their own trials.
The Wolf Pack is accused of stealing a mirror from Palisades Dressing room after their last defeat, which threatens to derail their path to the State Championship. A practical joke gone wrong.
“No Good ghetto girls” is the posted online comment from the Pali team in response.
Act 5: The Precipice of Dreams
The Oakwood Elders, steadfast in their resolve, find an unlikely ally in a tech entrepreneur new to Venice, who is moved by their cause and offers both resources and a platform to amplify their fight.
Tim secures the sponsorship deal for VBFC and the immediate future of the club is ensured however a shadow cast by the news that Joshua has gotten himself into trouble and will not be playing with VBFC anymore.
The Wolf Pack’s season culminates in a climactic confrontation with Palisades High. Despite their best efforts, the Wolf Pack’s quest for the State Championship ends in a nailbiting and crushing defeat, a poignant reflection of the broader narrative of unfulfilled dreams and the relentless pursuit of goals that remain just out of reach for these kids.
There is always next year but for many in the team graduating, the safety net of the Wolf Pack will no longer be there.
As the community gathers post-game, the sense of unity and pride in their journey overshadows the sting of defeat.
We are left with a sense that the battles that have been fought are bittersweet. The women fear that the monument status has come too late. A monument to a battle that will be ultimately lost.