ISLAMABAD: A film on street child footballers in Pakistan has been selected to be aired at a film festival in Paris next year.
“Concrete Dreams” by Pakistani filmmakers @SabaKarim & Zayer Hasan on street child football in Pakistan to shine in France after its selection in “Beyond the Curve Intl Film Festival,” being held in Paris in July 2021,” said a statement by Pakistan Embassy in France.
‘Concrete Dreams: Some Roads Lead Home’ is a documentary film directed by Saba Karim Khan and Zayer Hasan. It follows the story of two young boys, Owais Ali and Salman, who meet on the streets of Karachi, strike up an unpredictable friendship and become football champs.
An instructor in the Social Science division at NYU Abu Dhabi, Saba Khan first met Owaid Ali in 2015, while working on a story about the lost childhoods of underage Pakistani workers and decided to work on a film with him.
The film has been selected at the Docs Without Borders Film Festival competition (DWBFF),Indian World Film Festival, Tagore International Film Festival (TIFF) and Calcutta International Cult Film Festival. The film has also won the best documentary awards at three international festivals.
‘Concrete Dreams’ is not just about the hardships that Ali and Salman encountered on Karachi’s streets. It is a story of how football inspired the two to take control of their lives, going on to represent Pakistan at the first Street Child World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in 2014 and winning bronze for their country. This sparked the “I am Somebody” movement to impact the lives of 1.5 million street children in Pakistan.
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“Concrete Dreams” by Pakistani filmmakers @SabaKarim & Zayer Hasan on street child football in Pakistan to shine in France after its selection in “Beyond the Curve Intl Film Festival,” being held in Paris in July 2021. Watch preview ????????https://t.co/YzAp2gBG9X pic.twitter.com/7u4DM4sWGH— Embassy of Pakistan, Paris, France (@PakinFrance) October 18, 2020
