MARADONA'S LEGS
​​by Firas Khoury

23min | Germany/Palestine | 2019

During the 1990 World Cup, two young Palestinian boys are looking for “Maradona’s legs”; the last missing sticker that they need in order to complete their world cup album and win a free Atari.
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Original Title Ijrain Maradona
Year of production 2019
Length 23 min
Country Germany/Palestine
Shooting Format 2K
Aspect Ratio 2,35:1
Sound Dolby 5.1
Dialogue Arabic
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Director Firas Khoury
Producers Zorana Musikic, May Odeh
Production schaf oder scharf film, Odeh Films
Writer Firas Khoury
Cinematographer Christian Marohl
Editors Marwen El-Hechkel, Heike Parplies
Art Director Rabia Salfiti
Sound Recordist Ibrahim Zaher
Sound Designer Jan Cziharz
Costume Designer Fairouze Nastas
Music Faraj Suleiman
Cast Faris Abbas, Ayoub Abu Hamad, Ali Suliman

Festival selections
Palm Springs International ShortFest 2019, USA - World Premiere
IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival 2019, Bulgaria
​LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers 2019, Germany - Best Short Film (Section 8 +)
Tirana International Film Festival 2019, Albania
SediciCorto Film Festival 2019, Italy - Special Jury Mention
Palestine Cinema Days 2019 - Best Short Film
Arab Film Festival 2019, USA
Alice nella Città 2019, Italy - Rai Cinema Channel Award
Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival 2019, USA
Leeds International Film Festival 2019, UK
PÖFF Shorts (Black Nights Film Festival) 2019, Estonia
​Amarcort Film Festival 2019, Italy
Ajyal Film Festival 2019, Qatar ​- Best Short Film
Smile Int'l Film Festival for Children & Youth 2019, India
China International New Media Short Film Festival 2019, China
Sofia MENAR Film Festival 2020, Bulgaria
Reel Palestine 2020, UAE
Dam Short Film Festival 2020, USA
International Children's Film Festival Bangladesh 2020
Children's Film Festival Seattle 2020, USA
Tampere Film Festival 2020, Finland - Audience Award
Providence Children's Film Festival 2020, USA
DC Independent Film Festival 2020, USA
Festival du Cinéma européen de Lille 2020, France - Best Screenplay Award
Aspen Shortsfest 2020, USA​
ClujShorts International Short Film Festival 2020, Romania
Toronto Arab Film Festival 2020, Canada ​- Audience Award
Taos Shortz Film Fest 2020, USA
Golden Ger International Film Festival 2020, Mongolia
Nova Frontier Film Festival 2020, USA
​La Guarimba Film Festival 2020, Italy - Audience Award
Mediterranean Film Festival Split 2020, Croatia - Best Short Film Award
Busan International Kids and Youth Film Festival 2020, South Korea - Heart-On Award
​Omladinski Film Festival Sarajevo 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Les Nuits Méditerranéennes 2020, Corsica-France - Prix Grand Action
Cordillera International Film Festival 2020, USA - Best International Short
Hsin Chu Children’s Film Festival 2020, Taiwan
Rhode Island International Film Festival 2020, USA - Kidseye International Film Festival Awards - First Prize
Concorto Film Festival 2020, Italy -  Audience Award
DC Shorts International Film Festival 2020, USA
MalatestaShort Film Festival 2020, Italy
Shorts México 2020
Palestine Arts Film Festival 2020, Switzerland
Seattle Arab Film Festival 2020, USA
ONE Country ONE Film International Festival 2020, France
Muslim Film Festival 2020, Australia
Filmfest Dresden 2020, Germany
Sciacca Film Fest 2020, Italy
PRINDIE: Princeton Independent Film Festival 2020, USA - Best Writing Award
Capri Movie International Film Festival 2020, Italy - Best International Short Film
Toronto Palestine Film Festival 2020, Canada
ENFOQUE International Film Festival 2020, Puerto Rico
Zero Plus International Film Festival 2020, Russia
Adriatic Film Festival 2020, Italy
Charlotte Film Festival 2020, USA
Hexagon Film Festival 2020, Italy - Tiferet Award, Best International Short Film
BCN Sports Film Festival 2020, Spain - Jury Special Mention
DC Palestinian Film and Arts Festival 2020, USA
Chicago Palestine Film Festival 2020, USA
Middle East NOW 2020, Italy - Best Short Film
Bristol Palestine Film Festival 2020, UK
Malmo Arab Film Festival 2020, Sweden
Festival du film Arabe Fameck 2020, France
11mm - International Football Film Festival Berlin 2020, Germany - Best Short Film
All Shorts Irvington Film Festival 2020, USA - Audience Choice Award
Best of International short films Festival 2020, France
DONOSSKINO: Donostia/San Sebastian Short Film Festival 2020, Spain - Best Screenplay Award
​BRNO - International Short Film Festival 2020, Czech Republic - Student Jury Award
Kinotrip Film Festival 2020, Slovenia
Cinemed — Festival International Cinéma Méditerranéen de Montpellier 2020, France - CANAL+ Award, Young People's Award City of Montpellier, Filmgoers Award La Gazette​
Ridgefield Independent Film Festival 2020, USA - Best International Short
Cinekid Festival 2020, The Netherlands
Boston Palestine Film Festival 2020, USA
HollyShorts Film Festival 2020, USA
LatinArab International Film Festival 2020, Argentina - Cine Fértil Cultural Diversity Award
Virginia Film Festival  2020, USA
Barcelona International Short Film and Video Festival 2020, Spain - Best Short Film Award, Best Performance Award​
Bosphorus Film Festival 2020, Turkey
Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children and Youth 2020, Poland - Best Short Film Award
Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2020, UK - Best Comedy Award
Cinemaforum 2020, Poland - Special Jury Mention
Festival Ciné Palestine 2020, France
London Palestine Film Festival 2020, UK
Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival 2020, Finland
Court en Scène - Troyes Festival du Court Métrage 2020, France - International Grand Prize Award​
Athens International Children's Film Festival 2020, Greece
International Kids Film Festival 2020, India - Best Live Action Short Award ​
CINEfoot - International Football Film Festival 2020, Brazil
Longue vue sur le court 2020, Canada - Special Jury Mention
Cinemamed 2020, Belgium - Audience Award
​Lublin Film Festival 2020, Poland - Audience Award
Palestinian Film Festival in Romania 2020
Festival Tous Courts of Aix-en-Provence 2020, France
Passaggi d’Autore - Mediterranean Short Film Festival 2020, Italy
Amity Short Film Festival 2020, Turkey
Arab Film Festival 2020, USA
​Gimpo International Youth Film Festival 2020, South Korea
Stony Brook Film Festival 2020, USA
Fabrique Du Cinéma Awards 2020, Italy - ​Best International Short Film Award
Festival du Film Court de Villeurbanne 2020, France
Al Bahr Festival 2020, Spain - Best Short Film Award
Dhaka International Film Festival 2021, Bangladesh
Mo&Friese Kinder Kurzfilm Festival Hamburg 2021, Germany
​Sanfici - Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente 2021, Colombia
Bamberg Short Film Festival 2021, Germany
Ulju Mountain Film Festival 2021, South Korea
Seattle International Film Festival 2021, USA
Alfilm - Arab Film Festival Berlin 2021, Germany
Nepal International Film Festival 2021
Premiers Plans - Angers Film Festival 2021, France
Ciné-Palestine Toulouse Occitanie 2021, France
Zeitgeist Film Festival 2021, USA
Ismailia International Film Festival 2021, Egypt - Jury Award
Santiago del Estero Film Festival 2021, Argentina
Bašta Fest 2021, Serbia
OpenEyes Filmfest 2021, Germany
Ariano Film Festival 2021, Italy
Festival Silhouette 2021, France - Cinéphiles en herbe Award
Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival 2021, Lebanon - Special Jury Mention
Mestia International Short & Mountain Film Festival 2021, Georgia
filmzeitkaufbeuren 2021, Germany
Tripoli Film Festival 2021, Lebanon - Jury Special Award
Kicking + Screening Soccer Film Festival 2021, USA ​- Best Short Film Award
Festival du Film Palestinien Strasbourg 2021, France
Marrakech Short Film Festival 2021, Morocco 
Catania Film Festival 2021, Italy
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Website
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Director's Statement
It is safe to say that according to our film history, we are summed up as the “occupied people”, as if we have no other stories beyond this notion. Despite my strong faith in cinema as a tool of resistance, and its ability to express and deliver impactful messages on the masses, I see the importance in continuing the narration of our personal stories, which serves as the best proof of the continuation of our existence as a nation. The history of people is merely a collection of their stories. One of the reasons our cinema directly concentrates on the occupation topic is the demand/expectation from European sponsors (the central funders for Arab independent films). The critical view towards our current cinema could suggest that we will disappear - our stories will disappear - when the occupation does. This brings grief to my heart. In my previous short film “Yellow Mums”, I recounted my story as a Palestinian Christian child during Easter in my village, Galilee. And here, I recount my story as a Palestinian child during the FIFA World Cup tournament. I do not have any deeper or truer reason to why I want to shoot this short film, other than the fact that I simply feel that is my duty to tell this story. 
Because despite of being a personal story “Maradona’s Legs” cannot be isolated from Palestine’s political reality; the society portrayed is one that encourages other nations, one who raises other nations’ flags who are competing in the World Cup; it is a society that has no country and is prohibited from raising its own national flag. I aspire to tell the story that occurred to me and my brother in our childhood during the World Cup. Back then, our inspirations as children were no different than those of any child in the world - which is for their team to win. Our ambition was to merely fill the “World Cup album” until the last image. In the script, I used sophisticated vocabulary, such as “fulfillment”, “despair”, “destruction”, “depression” and “pain” to describe the children’s feelings. I deliberately exaggerated in order to remain loyal to my emotions as a child and the way I recall them. 
Brazil’s victory and the World Cup album would have distinguished between me being a happy or a sad child at that time; and that is what I will portray in the film. When Brazil loses, Rafat will be “destroyed”— there is no other way to describe it. There is no other way to film it. 
Being a Palestinian Israeli - I belong to the group Palestinians who stayed in their lands after the creation of the state of Israel - does not only add a second layer to my films - this situation makes daily reality full of contradictions. In my films I discuss the situation of the Palestinian community inside Israel. “Maradona’s Legs” takes place during the nineties, the time when the first Palestinian uprising took place – and is wrapped in a coming of age story, seen through the innocent eyes of two little boys.​

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