Egyptian director Ali El Arabi says it's "a big burden" to helm the only Arab film at the Sundance Film Festival this year.
His documentary, Captains of Za'atari, about two teenage Syrian refugees trying to fulfil their dreams of becoming professional footballers, will play in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the festival on Sunday, January 31.
As a consequence of the global pandemic, the event has reduced the number of films taking part, and will screen them online while also partnering with independent cinema communities across the US and beyond to host in-person events safely.
“I fluctuate between enthusiasm and fear,” the first-time director says, when asked what it feels like to represent the region at one of America’s most prestigious film festivals. “It’s a nice burden. I hope that the public likes the movie.”
El Arabi, 32, was stepping off a plane in Washington to research his next film when he received news about Sundance. "I had an email from my producers saying we need to talk to you now," he says.
The announcement took some time to sink in, and the gravity of it has been profound. "Being at Sundance will offer a lot of opportunities for my career, for my film, and most importantly, for the characters in the film."
The protagonists of Captains of Za'atari, teenagers Mahmoud and Fawzi, live in Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan. The camp opened in 2012 and at its peak hosted 150,000 Syrian refugees. It's a dire situation, but the boys do not wallow. They harbour dreams of becoming professional footballers, practising day in and day out. Fawzi, the older of the two by a year, is the captain of the Zaatari football team.
El Arabi first met Mahmoud and Fawzi in 2013. At the time, he was working as a war correspondent reporting on refugee camps in the Arab world for news channels. He found it dispiriting, not because of what he saw in the 19 refugee camps he estimates he visited, but because, as he says: "I didn't like the way the TV stations handled the material. They didn't look at these refugees as human beings with needs and ambitions; they looked at them as numbers and figures."
The director says he became a war reporter for altruistic reasons: "Making reportage and now making documentaries gives me a vantage point to tell stories because, deep down, I want to change the world for the better."
There were many reasons El Arabi wanted to follow the efforts of Mahmoud and Fawzi. "I was interested in what the human needs of the refugees are," he says.
“I was trying to trace what their lives looked like compared to how they wanted their lives to be. I found these two boys roaming around asking questions about how the world looked beyond the camp, and how they could escape the camp, and I thought such inquisitive youngsters could be inspiring for others.”
He believes their story will resonate with people because he saw himself in these ambitious children who want to improve their lives through sport. El Arabi grew up in a village in the Nile Delta, a rural area in northern Egypt, where he dreamt of practising martial arts. He trained with his friends who reached a level not too far from the professionals they admired. So, he was curious to see if these boys would fulfil their dreams.
Making documentaries gives me a vantage point to tell stories because I want to change the world for the better
"I lived with the boys inside the camp following them for five to seven months a year," he says. He decided to track what happened to them for the next few years, documenting their story as they developed as footballers, but more importantly as men.
The first year inside the camp was challenging as the residents treated the filmmaker with scepticism. The team needed to build trust by not changing the crew and having women on the production team who could talk to the women in the camp. At the start, they would also give their cameras to Mahmoud and Fawzi to build trust.
Mahmoud lives with his parents, two sisters and brother. It's a close-knit family and he takes his education seriously and has a sunny, romantic outlook on life. The more tempestuous Fawzi lives with his brother, younger sister and mother, and has dropped out of school to pin all his dreams on a sporting career. Their father tried to find work illegally and was arrested and banned from returning to the camp.
When El Arabi had been filming for three years, Aspire Academy, one of the world's leading sports academies, arrived to pick players for The Syrian Dream Team, for a tournament in Qatar.
It was the opportunity of a lifetime and has been portrayed as such in the film; there is an element of Steve James's seminal documentary Hoop Dreams, as El Arabi balances the human aspect with sporting dreams. As happens so often in sport, joy and heartbreak arrived at the same time. "The movie depicts two contradicting worlds," says El Arabi. "One is very poor, while the world of football is very powerful and rich."
The contrast between the two is apparent when the 19 Syrians chosen to play in the squad are put up in a fancy hotel, train on perfect pitches and get to see Bayern Munich's squad training. These moments are shot in a more glossy style. "I tried to show reality through the boy's eyes, seeing all that luxury compared to the camp" says El Arabi. "I needed to project this contradiction to the viewers to highlight that we live in two different worlds."
The arrival of the football academy feels like the stroke of fortune that all documentarians need. But El Arabi says what was important to him was not whether the boys made it or not. "Even if we do not achieve the dream, it's the desire and enthusiasm of seeking the opportunity for fulfilling the dream that is important."
El Arabi, who is yet to show the final film to his protagonists, says: "I'm super-scared, specifically for Fawzi because of the bits about his father. It might make him feel that loss again."
However, the director hopes screening the film will help the boys escape the camp. He has sent the movie to footballers including David Beckham, hoping to receive their support for the project. El Arabi says he wants everyone to reach their goals and live their dreams, just as the director will when Captains of Za'atari plays at Sundance.
Sundance Film Festival runs until Wednesday, February 3; sundance.org
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Dir: Ron Howard
Starring: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson
3/5
Teaching in coronavirus times
Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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The%20specs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
STAGE%201%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3E1)%20Tim%20Merlier%20(Soudal-Quick-Step)%2C%203h%2017%E2%80%99%2035%E2%80%9D%3Cbr%3E2)%20Caleb%20Ewan%20(Lotto%20Dstny)%20same%20time%3Cbr%3E3)%20Mark%20Cavendish%20(Astana%20Qazaqstan%20Team)%20same%20time%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1)%20Tim%20Merlier%20(Soudal%20Quick-Step)%203%3A17%3A25%3Cbr%3E2%20-%20Caleb%20Ewan%20(Lotto%20Dstny)%20%2B4%22%3Cbr%3E3%20-%20Luke%20Plapp%20(Ineos%20Grenadiers)%20%2B5%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
Dubai World Cup Carnival card:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 | 2,410 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m
BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Turkey - because the government look after animals so well there.
Favourite film: I love scary movies. I have so many favourites but The Ring stands out.
Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings. I didn’t like the movies but I loved the books.
Favourite colour: Black.
Favourite music: Hard rock. I actually also perform as a rock DJ in Dubai.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is type-1 diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.
It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.
Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.
Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Final round
25 under - Antoine Rozner (FRA)
23 - Francesco Laporta (ITA), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG)
21 - Grant Forrest (SCO)
20 - Ross Fisher (ENG)
19 - Steven Brown (ENG), Joakim Lagergren (SWE), Niklas Lemke (SWE), Marc Warren (SCO), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20flat-six%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E525hp%20(GT3)%2C%20500hp%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E465Nm%20(GT3)%2C%20450Nm%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh944%2C000%20(GT3)%2C%20Dh581%2C700%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
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