2020/2021 Winners & Shortlists

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

Collaboration is one of Expo’s core philosophies. And what better way to bring the theme of collaboration to life than the world’s most popular sport, football and the world’s best footballer, Lionel Messi. Steered by one of Expo’s guiding principles ‘The world is better when we act together’, we made a film that celebrates the shared love of football and its ability to make connections. We staged a world-wide game of ‘keepy-uppie’, starring Messi and featuring people around the world collaborating to keep the ball in the air. The ball was kicked off from Dubai and we watched it travel around the world, towards its final destination - a small community in Kenya, where a young team of footballers receive the ball and meet Messi in person.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

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Tell the jury about the creation of the original music track.

To score the film we wanted to create an original piece of music that had a momentum, drive and boundless energy. A piece of music that mirrored the forward motion and excitement of the film. Because Expo is a worldwide event, we wanted the music to have a truly international feel, but with a hint of Arabic. The track's instrumental and percussive arrangement was designed to feel elemental, open and authentic. The verses are sung by a Congolese singer, Andre Bangala and the lyrics are in Lingala – a language whose word structure and sounds are constructed from other languages.