“Soccer,” Desmond Tutu says in this inspiring documentary, “isn’t like a religion in Africa. It is bigger than religion." Uniting the continent in a passionate common dialogue, the game has the power to unite, uplift, heal—and corrupt. The Beautiful Game tells dynamic stories from six countries—Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast—ranging in tone and theme from inspirational to tragic, personal to universal, that reveal the powerful place soccer occupies in cultures across the continent. Woven together with commentary from such various observers as Archbishop Tutu, Kofi Anan, F. W. de Klerk, will.i.am, Femi Kuti, and a who’s who of African soccer stars, the stories coalesce into a deeply affecting picture of the modern continent in the full grip of its aspirations and struggles.