Clinton scores at premiere

Denzel Washington stars in the true story of an American football team

President Clinton has urged people to learn from a new movie which follows the fortunes of a racially-integrated football team.

The president arrived by motorcade for the premiere of Remember the Titans at the Uptown Theater in Washington.

The Titans was a rare racially-integrated team

The film tells the true story of the TC Williams High School American football team in the 1970s and stars Denzel Washington.

Clinton put aside protocol to sit with the crowds to watch the movie.

After the screening, Clinton said: "I only wish we could learn again the things that these men learned everyday from each other."

"They won a victory of the human heart," he added.

Clinton has visited the high school twice during his presidency and described it as the US's most religiously and ethnically diverse school.

Jersey presentation

He said there are students from more than 80 countries who speak 50 languages at the school.

The movie follows the season in which the team won the state championship.

Washington, who was at the premiere, said the film is "about these young men who came together at this very difficult time."

He plays the coach of the team with Will Patton as his assistant.

Members of the original high school team attended the screening and presented Clinton with a team jersey.

Herman Boone, who coached the team and was portrayed by Washington, was at the preview, as was Bill Yoast, his assistant.