2019 Winners & Shortlists

ETISALAT WORLD CUP

BrandETISALAT TELECOMMUNICATION EGYPT
Product/ServiceETISALAT
EntrantETISALAT Cairo, EGYPT
CategoryDirection
Idea Creation FP7/CAI Cairo, EGYPT
Production THE FILM MARSHALS Cairo, EGYPT

Write a short summary of what happens in the film.

Only Essam El-Hadary, the goalkeeper who was among the Egyptian old dream-team, made it to the 2018 World Cup. The film featured three of his teammates, Egyptian football champs, who must be dying of jealousy that El- Hadary made it to the World Cup and they couldn’t. It’s a comedic musical showing former Egyptian football stars; Mido, Mohamed Zindane and Mohamed Shawky. Each one is in his new position after retirement. Mido opened his own restaurant, Zidane owned a factory, and Shawky managed a fitness club. The film intensifies a playful rivalry between the generations. El-Hadary who is still fit and cocky is mocking his old teammates and their response is powerfully funny.

Cultural/Context information for the jury

Despite being absent from World Cup for years, Egypt with its former teams witnessed unprecedented achievements, especially during the years from 2006 to 2014, including a record of being the first African nation to win three consecutive cups up until 2010. The truth is, all Egyptians believed that the former team(s) deserved qualifications for the World Cup the most. Only one connecting element between Egyptain teams old and new: El- Hadary, the current captain nicknamed “The High Dam” for his remarkable career since 1996. His teammates including Mido, who played for several international clubs in Italy, England, Netherland and Spain and Mohamed Zidane, the famous former Bundes Liga player and even Mohamed Shawky who played in the Premier League and scored against Brazil in Confederation cup 2009, have gone into different pathways away from football and only El-Hadary who is still in shape.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the direction.

The concept required the director to dramatize the four-featured Egyptian footballers’ identities. From the choice of wardrobe and location of each player to the camera movement in a dynamic action rhyming with the music, the director creates a world of fantasy magnifying the idea of jealousy and banter between old friends. The choice of displaying each player’s identity was carefully crafted. Taking Mido as one example, his character was stylized in a way that suits his new career as a restaurant owner. He’s got a Latin look and suffers as he works all over the place from the meat fridge, to the kitchen and the restaurant cashier. While El-Hadary is in shape, running and appearing in press conferences. The choice of music was important, as the players have no musical background; hence, creating a genre that suits their performances was a great challenge.

Credits

Name Company Role
Karim Ayesh FP7/CAI Creative Director
Nourhan Moaz FP7/CAI Art Director
Alaa El Sheikh FP7/CAI Senior Copy Writer