Captains of Zaatari
Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Film Festival 2021
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