Time Out 22

Arab Feature Documentary Films

Time Out 22

In post-war Syria, the 2022 World Cup becomes both an escape and a barometer of national unrest

Director:
Ali Kazwini

Genre:
Documentary

Year:
2024

Duration:
63 minutes

Rating:
16+

Country:
Syria

Language:
Arabic, English

Subtitling:
English, Arabic

Cinematography: Hamzeh Ballouk - Mohammad Nammor - Obaid Allah Hussein

Editing: Reta Tayara

Production: ALMASNA3 / PENTALENS

Début Status: World Première

Film Eligibility: Rita Tauara is a first-time editor

Synopsis

Through the lens of a Syria scarred by twelve years of war, the 2022 World Cup sparks flickers of joy, tension, and memory. Football becomes both refuge and battleground – a game that binds and divides, stirring questions of identity, loyalty, and loss. As cheers rise for distant nations, the dream of local pride hangs in the air like smoke. In living rooms and cafés, the screen offers escape – and reveals a fractured nation searching for something to hold onto.

Director’s biography

Ali Kazwini is an editor and independent filmmaker. He is Iranian by nationality, born in Syria in 1992, and currently resides in Damascus. He earned a degree in Economics in 2014. Since 2018, he has worked with Almasna3 on projects like Poor Film, Peace Lens, and ICON. In 2021, he was assistant director for the short film Cold Feet. In 2022, he served as executive director for the documentary Once Upon a Time in Aleppo. He recently finalized his film, Time Out 22. He is the editor for My Memory is Full of Ghosts and works on QuickTake Alsharq projects.