Sundance 2021: Captains of Zaatari
sundance 2021
At their best, documentaries can offer powerful insights into the lives of individuals around the world that can share their authentic truth and souls on a much deeper level than most other mediums. Ali El Arabi's directorial debut – Captains of Zaatari – which is streaming as part of the 2021 Sundance Film Festival does just this. It follows two young men from the Zaatari Refugee Camp in Jordan who get the chance to live their dreams and possibly join a well-known sports academy which would allow them to become professional football players. Whilst 2020 impressed as one of the strongest years for documentaries, if Captains of Zaatari is even close to a sign of what is to come, 2021 might just be even better.
Even when compared to most narrative features as of recent, Captains of Zaatari stands as one of the most compelling and emotionally captivating films in recent memory. The film gives the audience both the time and insight needed to truly get to know these individuals and make you care about their struggles and hopes for the future. Living in a refugee camp, these individuals have gone through a tremendous amount of pain and struggle and this opportunity gives a legitimate chance for them to not just follow their passions but also give them and their families a way out of their current situations. It is impossible for the audience not to buy into the dreams that these two share and get behind them as they reach for those dreams. In this regard, Captains of Zaatari captures a power as a documentary that simply wouldn't be achieved in a fictional setting. These characters and their struggles, hopes, pain, fears, and dreams are not simply works of a writing room but are real.
There is authenticity and genuine real-world stakes for their actions as they try to prove themselves to this sports academy during a special football camp. The film never lets this drama overshadow the humanity of these characters, but instead uses both these elements combined to create a film that will have audiences both on the edge of their seats and reaching for the nearest box of tissues to wipe their tears at multiple points. Whether it is a sequence of tragedy where it feels like these individuals' dreams are slipping away from them or a grand moment of success, Captains of Zaatari has immaculate control over the audience and their emotional states.
Not only does the emotional power and narrative stand out when it comes to the documentary genre, but so does the filmmaking. The cinematography from Mahmoud Bashir is genuinely some of the most impressive filmmaking seen within documentaries in decades. The film is shot in an incredibly cinematic style that truly feels like a narrative feature to the point where it was enough to question at first if this really was a documentary or if it was a misreading of the description. The editing is clean and the film carries a focused 73-minute runtime that is perfect for what the film is. It both keeps the runtime focused while also allowing enough time for the film to sit with its characters and the world around them. Every scene matters no matter how active the focus of that scene is which is a testament to the direction coming from Ali El Arabi.
Captains of Zaatari genuinely is a must-watch and instantly cements itself a place on the list for the best films of 2021. This is a powerful film full of life and aspirations that speak to a deep and authentic soul of the human experience. Everyone wants to dream and the film captures this in a stunning sense. Whether it is at Sundance or in its release down the line, please seek out Captains of Zaatari, it is absolutely worth it.
