In the aftermath of a devastating rumor, Iman and his family have been forced to flee Iran. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumours start to resurface, Iman’s fear and desperation begin to take a hold.

Directed by: Milad Alami
Production Year: 2023
Country: Sweden
Length: 119 minutes

Credits

Director: Milad Alami
Writer: Milad Alami
Producers: Annika Rogell, Sandra Warg, Peter Possne
Cinematographer: Sebastian Winterø
Production Designer: Thomas Øyjordsbakken
Composer: Jon Ekstrand, Carl-Johan Sevedag
Editor: Olivia Neergaard-Holm
Sound Designer: Andreas Franck

Cast

Payman Maadi
Marall Nasiri
Björn Elgerd
Ardalan Esmaili
Arvin Kananian
Nicole Mehrbod
Diana Farzami
Magnus Mark
Joonas Saartmo

Champions

 

Australian Premiere | 2016

Director's Biography
Director's Biography
Anastasija Harrowna Bräuniger was born in 1988 in Berlin. She grew up in Moscow, South England and Germany. She studied acting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Rostock and during her studies produced own plays and performances. 2013 Anastasija founded the Berlin based artist's group "flying pig corporation", which works with actors, musicians and authors. In 2014 she received the Proskenion Nachwuchsförderpreis for performing arts. After working two years intensively as a theatre actress and playing major roles, she decided to try out for the renowned Ernst Busch School Berlin to study directing. She was accepted and has begun her studies in autumn 2016. Anastasija continues to work on own performances and own exhibitions of her art work and photography. She is also a member of the Young Berlin Council in the Maxim Gorki Theatre Berlin.

Synopsis

On the day of the European Championship finals 2016, a group of Kurdish children from a refugee camp in north Iraq try to contact FIFA. The
children are calling the FIFA headquaters in Zurich to apply their Kurdish team for the Football World Cup 2018.

The short is about the limits that are set for certain minorities and people in difficult environments and about the childrens ability to dream big nevertheless.
We shot in a refugee camp between Erbil and Mosul were many Kurdish and Syrian refugees, among others live.

This short is dedicated to the kids of Kobane, the Champions.

Festivals

  • LET'S CEE Festival in Vienna
  • Human Rights Film Festival San Sebastian
  • Diversity in CANNES
  • Timisoara Refugee Film Festival
  • Bucharest ShortCut CineFest

Production Team

Director
Anastasija Bräuniger
Country
Iraq
Runtime 
7 min
Language
Kurdish with English Subtitles
Premiere Status 
Classification 
18+
Year
2016
Screenwriter 
Anastasija Bräuniger
Producer
Anastasija Bräuniger
Cinematographer 
Tufan Abubaker, Soran Ebrahim
Editor
Franziska von Berlepsch
Cast

Stills

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