Directed by Ayat Najafi and David Assmann • Documentary • 2008 • 86 minutes
The members of the Iranian women's international football (soccer) team possess a dedication to the sport rivaling that of any other group of players in the world. What they lack, however, is a team to play against. When Marlene, the left-back of a Berlin amateur club, learns of their situation, she becomes determined to do something about it and hatches a plan to travel with her team to Tehran for a friendly match.
On a preliminary trip to the country, Marlene meets Niloofar, a member of the Iranian women’s team, who dreams of David Beckham and struggles as a female athlete living under the country’s repressive regime. Despite all the cultural differences, they share a love of football and an unwavering determination to make the match happen even without official support. After a year of failed attempts, Marlene’s team travels to Tehran to play the game of their lives.
Up Next in Beyond Belief
-
An Act of Worship
Directed by Nausheen Dadabhoy • Documentary • With George Shakkour • 2022 • 95 minutes
Told through the lens of Muslims living in the United States, director Nausheen Dadabhoy offers a counter-narrative of pivotal moments in U.S. history and explores the impact of anti-Muslim rhetoric and policy...
-
Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East?
Directed by Yong-Kyun Bae • Drama • With Yvonne Williams, Homer Nish, Tom Reynolds • 1989 • 137 minutes
The first ever feature-length film from South Korea to gain theatrical distribution in the USA, WHY HAS BODHI-DHARMA LEFT FOR THE EAST? has received acclaim from critics and audiences around t...
-
Final Vows
Directed by Victoria Westover • Documentary • 2024 • 84 minutes
Final Vows chronicles the life of a cloistered order of nuns at Santa Rita Abbey, a Cistercian monastery in the high desert of Arizona. The nuns, who take a vow that binds them to remain in the community they entered for life, candi...
