For three decades now, Qatar, this small desert kingdom, has not stopped being talked about; because of its financial power and the secrecy that surrounds it, the royal family that runs it fascinates as much as it frightens.
Almost 50 years ago this year, the legendary Pelé played a match in Doha Sports Stadium. On that fateful day in 1973, young Nasser is desperate to see his idol take the field. But he is stuck in Arabic class and must avoid the wrath of his teacher as he attempts to get his hands on a ticket in this charming short about the beautiful game and its power to bring people together.
Inside Qatar’s labor camps, African and Asian migrant workers building the facilities of the 2022 World Cup compete in a football tournament of their own.
'Atlal (Remnants)' is a fictional documentary that follows Bassam, a Palestinian man in his fifties, on a journey between the past and present. An abandoned school, the remains of a beach club, and a dusty cinema hold Bassam's cherished memories from his life in Qatar. Through personal archives and interviews with Bassam and his wife, Laila, we get a deeper look into their stories—slowly revealing the dismaying thoughts behind Bassam's nostalgia.
"The Pressure Game - In the Heart of the Swiss Nati" is a docutainment series with six episodes of 30 minutes each. The focus is on the Swiss men's national soccer team - the Nati. The series is produced by the Zurich-based film production stories AG in co-production with SRG and freshcom GmbH and in cooperation with the Swiss Football Association, which allows the camera team free access behind the scenes. The series will be broadcast nationally from March 21 on all SRG SSR channels and via the streaming platform Play Suisse. International exploitation is also planned. The series is based on an idea by Simon Helbling and Samy Ebneter. Simon Helbling is the director.
The corruption, backroom deals and greed behind awarding the World Cup comes to a head when the 2022 tournament is awarded to Qatar, a desert nation with baking summer temperatures, no world-class stadiums, little interest in soccer - and lots of money.
