2019 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film.

Under Armour answers the question on the mind of everyone who’s willing to take training seriously: how many reps does it take to become an athlete? Truth is, ‘enough’ is not a number. Progress is about giving it ‘one more’ every time the body wants to call it quits. Micro-influencers from across the Middle-East are seen pushing themselves to their personal limits, and beyond, in a universe where their entire existence is focused on training.

Cultural/Context information for the jury

To give the film for Under Armour local resonance and significance we filmed at a Middle-Eastern location the region has forgotten about: the never completed site of the Tripoli International Fair in Lebanon. Designed by world-renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, construction of this landmark was never finished because of the Lebanese Civil War. Its state today, after decades of neglect, is sadly appalling. With our lighting and art direction we wanted to show the abandoned, run-down site as the glorious architectural masterpiece it was meant to be. Since filming, the site has been nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction.

The original storyboard was set inside a gym, showing athletes performing different exercises to an inspiring voice-over. The director suggested we should choose an environment that isolates the athlete more, emphasising that training is a solitary exercise, a battle in which athletes have no one but themselves to fall back on, and that progress is a result of their own physical and mental strength. On top of that, he felt we should choose a location that is not generic, like the interior of a gym, but one that has deeper meaning to the region. The director himself sourced the location of the abandoned Tripoli International Fair in Lebanon.