In Football We Trust

Directed By Erika Cohn

IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST is an insightful and moving documentary feature film exploring in rich detail the remarkable story behind the Polynesian Pipeline to the NFL.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
"In Football We Trust" captures a snapshot in time amid the rise of the Pacific Islander presence in the NFL. Presenting a new take on the American immigrant story, this feature length documentary transports viewers deep inside the tightly-knit Polynesian community in Salt Lake City, Utah. With unprecedented access and shot over a four-year time period, the film intimately portrays four young Polynesian men striving to overcome gang violence and near poverty through American football. Viewed as the "salvation" for their families, these young players reveal the culture clash they experience as they transform out of their adolescence and into the high stakes world of collegiate recruiting and rigors of societal expectations.

Director/Writer/Producer Erika Cohn is a two-time Emmy, Peabody, and DGA award-winning filmmaker and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Recognized by Variety as one of 2017’s top documentary filmmakers to watch, she was also featured in DOC NYC’s 2019 “40 Under 40.” Recently, Erika directed/produced BELLY OF THE BEAST, an Emmy-winning, Peabody-nominated exposé on human rights abuses in women’s prisons, featuring Mary J. Blige’s Oscar-shortlisted song. Her work includes Peabody award-winning THE JUDGE (TIFF premiere), and Emmy award-winning IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST (Sundance premiere) and short films, WHAT YOU’LL REMEMBER and A SHOT AT HISTORY.