The program of this year's Alfilm – Arab Film Festival Berlin features a diversity of long and short films from the Arab region. Once again, the festival shows which talents this region offers and which impressive stories serve as their inspiration. The short film selection will also include “Maradona's Legs” by Firas Khoudry. This co-production between Palestine and Germany convinces with a dense narrative pace and two outstanding child actors.
Maradona's Legs is screening at ALFILM
Set in 1990 during the soccer World Cup, Khoudry's short film tells the story of two brothers who are big fans of the Brazilian national team. To complete their sticker book, however of all things, they are missing the bottom part of the Maradona picture. It is Maradona's legs that stand between them and the prize they can win for the complete booklet. To reach this missing picture, the two take the bus and go to Nazareth. On the way, they have to defend their sticker booklet from other die-hard soccer fans. Finally, they meet a boy who offers them the long-searched for Maradona's legs.
The great strength of the film is the childlike perspective from which the story is told. The passion for a cause and the fighting spirit the children express is unconditional. From their point of view, loyalty seems natural and non-negotiable. “Maradona's Legs” certainly wants to remind the viewer of this childlike enthusiasm. As an adult, it often happens that one is shaped by numerous compromises and perhaps strategic considerations that no longer allow such undisguised idealism.
The film uses the overriding theme of being a fan, as a metaphor for several other themes. One is about collective cohesion. The speech that one boy gives at the end of the short is a veritable pamphlet for this. Just because a team loses or weakens once doesn't mean you have to turn your back on it. Loyalty and solidarity should characterize social coexistence. For that, soccer only represents society on a small scale.
The film also sets an example against materialism. The two protagonists consider their sticker book to be a small treasure, while it basically has no great material value. They also finally decide against trading it in for what seems to be a much more valuable prize. The moral component of the story is somewhat simplistic, but it works precisely because of the choice of children as protagonists.
Overall, “Maradona's Legs” is formally distinguished by a good sense of rhythm, quick editing, done by Marwen El-Hechkel and Heike Parplies, and confident camera work. Cinematographer Christian Marohl captures a fairy-tale atmosphere with his camera that, with the appropriate décor, is indeed reminiscent of the 1990s.
