In post-revolution Libya a group of women are brought together by one dream: to play football for their nation. But as the country descends into civil war, their personal stories of aspiration, love and struggle collide with History.
Filmed over five years, FREEDOM FIELDS follows three women and their football team in post-revolution Libya, as the country descends into civil war and the utopian hopes of the Arab Spring begin to fade. Through the eyes of these accidental activists, we see the reality of a country in transition, where the personal stories of love and aspirations collide with History. A love letter to sisterhood and the power of'team'.
FREEDOM FIELDS is the story of three accidental activists and their team. Existing for years before the revolution, without ever playing a single match, we find the women of the team post revolution, hopeful that things will be different. But up against the wrath of society and extremist groups their dreams are thwarted as they are banned from travelling to Germany for what would have been their first ever tournament. Disillusioned, they go shopping for wedding dresses they will never wear, watch football that they feel they will never play. Secret discussions of love, weaved with talk of war, spark around kitchen tables. Moments of desperation mixed with dark humour, as the country sinks into civil war and starts to feel more and more like a prison they will never be able to leave. But, after many months and against all odds, the women manage to travel to Beirut for an international tournament. Their hopes reinvigorated, they start making plans for the future. Not only for their national team, but bigger: how can they change their society, on and off the pitch?
A film by Naziha AREBI
Libya / UK, 2018, Documentary, 90', color
LANGUAGES: Arabic, English SUBTITLES: English Type: documentary Tags: football, social justice, female director, women in film Countries: United Kingdom, Libya, Canada, Qatar, Netherlands, Lebanon, United States
Also Known As (AKA) Original title: Freedom Fields Brazil: Campos da Liberdade Poland: Boiska wolności Russia: Поля свободы Spain : Freedom Fields UK : Freedom Fields
Director's Statement In 2011, the Arab Spring was capturing the world's hearts. Wanting to discover what being'Libyan' meant I travelled to Libya with my father at the fall of Tripoli. It was here that I found my team, a group of women who defied society's restrictions, full of fire and hope for a new future. Four years later I found myself still living in Tripoli, living our shared reality in a cloud of disillusionment. As chaos ensued and many people were leaving, heading into exile once again due to ongoing fighting, I questioned how far we can go before realising a dream is over, but I also discovered the power we find in such moments to start to create new dreams. That is what is at the core of this film. Making this film, for me, is not about football; it is about individuals fighting against a system to attain their dreams. Football is a vehicle that gives access to their everyday lives in an open and visceral way. A trigger for their wit, fire and humour. A tool that allows them to explore the concept of the individual, to mark out their identity and their collective struggle as women and changemakers. As the only Libyan female filmmaker on the ground in Libya I have been embedded with the team for over five years now. We have developed a relationship which delivers an intense rawness and a closeness, which has not been seen out of Libya before.
Director: Naziha Arebi Screenwriter: Naziha Arebi Music by Katya Mihailova Cinematography by Naziha Arebi Sound designer: Giovanni Buccomino Film Editing by Maya Hawke, Ling Lee, Alice Powell Consulting editor: Mary Lampson Sound editor: Giovanni Buccomino Score Mixer: Dan Weinberg Re-recording mixer: Matteo Di Simone Dialogue editor: Luigi Melchionda Assistant editors: Ben Cook, Duncan Cowles, Kieran Gosney Production Manager: Muhannad Lamin Production assistant: Rachel Stollery Second camera operator: Sufian Arara Colorist: Colin Brown
Production Company: Huna Productions (Libya), SDI (UK) Scottish Documentary Institute (Scotland)
FUNDS OR AWARDS RECEIVED: IDFA Bertha Fund AFAC, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Creative Scotland, Doha Film Institute, Hot Docs Blue Ice Fund, IDFA Bertha Fund, Sundance Film Institute, Olympic Legacy Truce / British Foreign Office
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival 2019 (USA) - Nominee: Spotlight Documentary Competition (Naziha Arebi) - Screening: 6 April 2019
CPH:DOX (Denmark) - Screening: 27 March 2019
Docs Against Gravity Film Festival (Poland) - Screening: 10 May 2019
Stockholm Film Festival 2018 - Nominee: Bronze Horse (Best Documentary, Naziha Arebi)
Toronto International Film Festival (Canada) - Screening: 8 September 2018
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AR
في ضوء ظهور فجر جديد لوطن كان لفترة بسيطة يعيش في الخفاء، نتابع سهاد، كشافة كرة القدم للفتيات، في رحلتها عبر البلاد لاكتشاف وتمكين النساء في ليبيا من خلال الرياضة. تغلب المناظر الليبية على الفيلم الذي يروي قصصاً إنسانية مؤثرة لشريحة بشرية في حياة ليبيا ما بعد الثورة. يكشف هذا الفيلم الصراعات والنزاعات الثقافية والاحتمالات التي تنتظر النساء في ليبيا الجديدة الحرة داخل وخارج ملعب كرة القدم
نزيهة عريبي
فيلم وثائقي طويل / ليبيا, المملكة المتحدة, الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية, هولندا, كندا, قطر / 0 دقائق / اللغة الأصلية
العربية / الإهتمامات: نساء, وثائقي, شرق أوسطي, رياضة, دين, قضايا اجتماعية, حرب, شباب, مخرجة, قضايا المرأة, اهتمامات النساء
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