Men in the Arena Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
The American Dream doesn’t just exist in the United States. In Men in the Arena you’ll meet two footballers trying to follow their dreams in a country that has banned football. It’s a documentary full of hope and optimism for a better future for Somalia and the Somali football team.
From: Somalia, Africa
Watch: Trailer, Tubi, Kanopy, Amazon Prime, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Freedom Fields, Uncertain Future, The Eagle Huntress
The Breakdown
“In 2010, many Somalis never saw the World Cup. Extremist groups banned football. Two years later, a sports celebration at the National theater was cut short by a terrorist attack claiming 10 lives, including the Presidents of Somalia’s Olympic committee and Football federation. There is an unwritten rule in Somalia. You do not talk about Al-Shabab publicly. Especially if you are a footballer.”
It’s within this context that Men in the Arena starts. We’re introduced to two professional footballers and friends, Saadiq and Sa’ad, who both play for the Somali national team. From the opening minutes, it’s obvious that this film is going to be an underdog story. Firstly, the Somali national team isn’t very good. Every time they play another international team, they lose badly without managing to score a single goal. Secondly, they live in a country at war; pretty much everyone on the team has lost a friend or family member in the war. It’s not a great scenario.
However, despite the hopelessness of their situation, the footballers and everyone the documentary interviews are full of hope. The footballers are consistently positive and full of hope. They always expect that their next game will be a turning point for their team; that if they can score one goal, it will change the morale of the team (and country) and put them on the path to success. Their optimism is also shared with their fans who cheer every single shot on goal like they’ve just won the game, even if Somalia are already losing 3-0. By the film’s midpoint, you’ll start believing change is possible too, after all the only way for the football team and country is up.
What to Watch Next
Firstly, this film goes pretty well with Freedom Fields from Libya. If you thought that life was tough for the footballers in Men in the Arena, you’ll see that life for female footballers in war-torn Libya is just as bad. They’re also subject to pressure from the government to stop playing and the dangers of war. It’s an equally personal documentary.
If you’re looking for more stories of refugees fleeing from war in Africa, you should also check out Uncertain Future from Burundi. It’s another very personal story of one man forced to leave his country for fear of losing his life.
Or, if you want to watch some more feel-good sports films, check out:
- The Eagle Huntress: featuring one girl and her eagle taking on the male eagle hunters of Mongolia.
- Africa United: featuring a handful of outcasts from Rwanda who bond over their quest to watch the World Cup in South Africa.
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