Champions (Arabic: أبطال) is a 2021 Saudi Arabian-Spanish sports comedy film written and directed by Manuel Calvo.[1] It is an Arabic-language remake of the 2018 Spanish film of the same name.[2] Starring Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi.[3]
| Champions | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Manuel Calvo |
| Written by | Manuel Calvo |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Yassir Al Saggaf Fatima Al Banawi |
| Cinematography | Josep M. Civit |
| Edited by | Pablo Blanco |
| Music by | Amer Tashkandi |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Countries | Saudi Arabia |
| Language | Arabic |
Synopsis
editAfter losing a match, Khaled is summoned to a disciplinary court. The sentence comes down and Khaled is forced into unexpected community service: banished from his prestigious job, he must now train a team of amateur players with disabilities. A task he despises, before opening his eyes to these players who are often discriminated against because of their disability.[4]
Cast
edit- Yassir Al Saggaf as Khaled
- Fatima AlBanawi as Nada
- Khalid Alharbi as Nasser
- Walid Baeshin as The father
- Maya Bakhsh
- Khairia Nazmi
Production
editPrincipal photography started at the end of February 2020 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with plans to shoot for 7 weeks there and then in Dubai,[5][6] but could not finish filming due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.[7] The last scenes had to be filmed a year later, at the expense of the lifting of restrictions in the country.[7]
Release
editIt had its world premiere on December 10, 2021, at the Red Sea International Film Festival.[8] It was released commercially on March 10, 2022, in Saudi Arabian theaters.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ Fuente, Anna Marie de la (2020-06-22). "Spanish Blockbuster 'Champions' Remake in Saudi Arabia Sparks Deals with Latido, Vox, Shahid (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ Staff Reporter (2020-02-24). "Saudi production house to produce 'Champions' film with UAE counterpart". BroadcastPro ME. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ "'CHAMPIONS' - The Movie Starts Filming in Saudi Arabia - Destination KSA". 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ ""Champions", the Saudi film in support of disabilities". KAWA. 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ Bedirian, Razmig (2020-02-24). "'Champions': Film about Saudi Arabian footballers of determination starts shooting in Jeddah". The National. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ "Feature film 'Champions' begins shooting in Jeddah". Arab News. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ a b Carrión, Francisco (2022-01-23). "En el rodaje del 'Campeones' saudí". El Independiente (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ "2021 Films – Page 7 – Red Sea Film". redseafilmfest.com. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ Badih, Samia (2022-02-25). "Saudi film 'Champions' set to be released in March". The National. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
- ^ "Saudi film 'Champions' to be released in March". Arab News. 2022-02-26. Retrieved 2023-06-07.