Football Under Cover
The Sporting Life
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1h 26m
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.
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