Ajyal Film Festival 2021

Ajyal Film Festival 2021

Captains of Zaatari

Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2021

Ali El Arabi / Egypt / 2021 / 75 min / Colour / DCP / In Arabic / English subtitles
Themes : Documentary
Rated: Parental guidance is advised. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.

Description

After fleeing the war in Syria, best friends Mahmoud and Fawzi have spent the last five years in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp. Though they both have little sense of what the future may hold for them, they focus their energy on their first love—soccer. Despite the dire circumstances in the camp, the pair practice daily, firmly believing that playing professional football is their ticket to freedom. When Aspire Academy, one of the world’s leading sports academies, arrives to pick players for an international tournament in Qatar, the friends seize their opportunity...

Director

Ali El Arabi

Ali El Arabi is a documentary director and producer who has worked with Dream TV (Egypt), ZDF, Stern TV Germany, and National Geographic. In 2015 El Arabi set up Ambient Light—a Cairo-based production company that focuses on topics relevant to the MENA region, such as refugee displacement and women’s and children’s rights. His directorial debut, 'Captains of Zaatari', was at Sundance as an entry for the World Documentary Competition, and the film was named one of the best 15 films at Sundance by Variety.

Credits

Producer
Ali El Arabi
Cinematographer
Mahmoud Basher
Editor
Menna El Shishini