By Hassan Cheruppa

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – Several prominent Saudi figures joined hundreds of local film fans in celebrating the world premier screening of Saudi feature film Champions (Abtaal) at Red Sea Gala Theatre here on Sunday evening. They greeted the filmmakers and actors of the film, who were present on the occasion, with a standing ovation.

They included the film’s Spanish Director Manuel Calvo, Oscar-winning Spanish Producer Andrés Vicente Gómez, head of Lolafilms, as well as young Saudi actors Yassir Al-Saggaf, Omar Al-Zahrani and Fatima Al-Banawi. Most of the actors of the film are young people with intellectual disabilities, who are members of the Jeddah-based Markaz Al-Oun (Help Center). These actors were accorded a rousing welcome as the real champions of the day. The viewers had the feel of real life as most of the film shoot took place in the surroundings of the beautiful heritage buildings of the Balad Historic Area, a UNESCO site and home of the Red Sea International Film Festival.

Champions, one of the favorite Saudi films screened at the film festival, imparts a lot of lessons from the part of people with special needs and the need to lend a helping hand for them apart from a love of football. The 90’ minute film tells the story of Khaled (Saggaf), who is an arrogant and easily riled assistant coach at Ittihad Club in Jeddah. A show of temper after a frustrating match lands him in a disciplinary court. One day, after a stressful match, due to frustration over handling of the team, Khaled assaults his boss, the Spanish coach.

Consequently, Khaled loses his job and is sentenced to the worst possible punishment for his ego: community service through coaching a group of players with intellectual disabilities who have never touched a ball before as a professional team. Through their innocence, tenderness and plenty of good humor, they teach Khaled about the things that really matter in life and how much he has to learn from them.

“Champions” is a Saudi remake of one of the Spanish box office hit “Campeones,” a sports comedy about a basketball coach who works with a team of mentally disabled players. Spanish director Javier Fesser’s hit film was adapted to the Arab market by Saudi scriptwriters Maram Taibah and Wael Al-Saeed and the Saudi adaptation is directed by Manuel Calvo. The film bagged the best picture and three other prizes at the Spanish Film Academy Goya Awards.

The original Spanish film garnered strong media attention, making an impact with its positive message and shifting the perception on people with special needs: the film captured the actors as unique and talented human beings capable of having a fulfilled life of their own. The film and its main characters definitely set a life example for the rest of the society – their sense of humor, sensibility, kindness and respect, shines through in the film.

Saudi Arabia’s special needs team has won the INAS World Football Championship four times in a row. When the Spanish movie, Campeones, became a huge success in Spain, it was immediately felt that it’s heart-warming story of a disabled sports team would find a special resonance in the Kingdom, and that led to producing the film.

The producing companies of the film are the Saudi –based Al-Maha Al-Arabi Production in association with Creative Media Solutions of the United Arab Emirates. A crew of 90 film professionals from Saudi Arabia and Spain participated in the filmmaking held various locations in Jeddah, especially the Old Town, and Dubai.

It is noteworthy that the internationally acclaimed Stuart Sutherland also includes among producers of Champions along with Andrés Vicente Gómez and Marco Gomez. The three veterans are also the producers of “Born A King,” of which the shoot was held in Riyadh. Born A King is a historical action-adventure from the point of view of a young boy. It’s the fascinating true story of the then Prince Faisal’s visit to London on a diplomatic mission in 1919 and his relationship with his father King Abdulaziz.

Sutherland recalled earlier his experience in producing two international Saudi feature films. “After shooting Born a King in Riyadh we wanted to explore locations in other regions, and we were introduced to Markaz Al-Oun in Jeddah, which is a fantastic organization for children and people with disabilities. The center helped us audition young special needs adults and was invaluable, and when we scouted the beautiful buildings of Old Town and the vibrant cityscape of Jeddah it was an easy decision to film there,” he said.