The Egyptian film Captains of Zaatari (2021) will take part in the Sundance Film Festival, held between 28 January and 3 February.

The festival's events will be broadcast on the Sundance website.

Screened in the World Cinema Documentary section, Captains of Zaatari is the only film from the Middle East participating in Sundance's international competitions.

According to the brief released by Sundance, the film follows Mahmoud and Fawzi, two best friends trapped in Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan. "They dream of becoming professional football players. When a world renowned sports academy scout visits the camp, both have a chance to make their dreams come true."

The film, which will see its world premiere at Sundance, is directed by Ali El Arabi. It was among the El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna Springboard (2019) in the post-production selection.

Captains of Zaatari is El Arabi's first documentary feature film.

"Making his feature directorial debut, Ali El Arabi crafts an intimate portrait of friendship and of enduring hope in the face of the most challenging odds. Employing an observational approach, El Arabi captures indelible moments — late-night bantering between best friends, anguish over unexpected setbacks, the boys joyfully running barefoot through a soccer field — that immerse the audience in Fawzi and Mahmoud’s experiences — and in their dreams," the Sundance Film Festival's website reads.

Director and producer El Arabi began his career at Dream TV, an Egyptian satellite channel, where he worked on various documentaries. In 2015, he set up Ambient Light, a Cairo-based production company.  

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