Irish Film Institute -IFI Documentary Festival: CAPTAINS OF ZA’ATARI

IFI Documentary Festival: CAPTAINS OF ZA’ATARI

Director: Ali El Arabi

73 mins, Jordan, 2021, Digital.


From Monday September 6th, in line with government guidelines, all patrons must show proof of vaccination upon entering the cinema screen.

Two teenage best friends, Mahmoud and Fawzi, living in the Za’atari Syrian Refugee Camp in Jordan have a dream of becoming professional soccer players. Despite the dire circumstances of the camp, they remain hopeful that they will be discovered; practicing every day, they firmly believe that soccer is their ticket to freedom. When scouts arrive to pick players for an international tournament in Doha, they quickly identify Mahmoud as a talent, while Fawzi is forced to remain at the camp due to a technicality. At a time when international sentiment towards refugees is growing less compassionate, Captains of Za’atari tells a uniquely moving, human story of two friends with a dream of escape.

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