Khartoum Offside

A portrait of female soccer players in Khartoum, who dream of playing on a national team for Sudan in the World Cup. The social, political and financial obstacles they face seem insurmountable. Nevertheless, they remain cheerful and optimistic, and continue to practice on Khartoum’s grassless fields.

Sara is one of the pioneers and the team’s coach. She struggles not only with a lack of money, support and facilities, but also with bureaucratic problems: because she comes from South Sudan, the authorities make it difficult for her to stay in Khartoum. The filmmakers follow her and other team members in their daily lives, in surprisingly close detail. The women are outspoken about their opinions and talk—sometimes laughingly—about the violence and obstruction they have to deal with.

The footage of soccer players on the field, lobbying for money, at work and on the road are punctuated by poetic close-ups of their bodies in action, as a celebration of strength and femininity.