Running on Sand
Dir. Adar Shafran, Dramedy, Israeli Feature, 104 min.
Multiple Audience Award Winner at Jewish Film Festivals around the U.S.
Winner, Best Debut Film & Best Screenplay, Haifa International Film Festival 2024
Nominee, Israeli Ophir Awards in 4 categories
A film about refugees and deportation that tells both a specifically Israeli story (with many non-professional actors portraying Eritreans) and a universal tale that resonates in the current moment. Aumari, a young Eritrean refugee living in Israel, is about to be deported back to his home country. After a spontaneous escape attempt at the airport, he is mistaken for a Nigerian striker, who is supposed to arrive at the same time. Aumari seizes the opportunity and benefits for his change of identity as the new key acquisitions for the team of ‘Maccabi Netanya’. Despite the absence of any soccer talent, Aumari is able to cover-up and heal the divisions of his struggling team, while a tender romantic bond with charmingly unconventional daughter of the team owner is growing.