LES ENFANTS DE L’OVALE
55 minutes, 2012
Direction : Grégory FONTANA (France) and Rachid OUJDI (France)
Production : Comic Strip Production (France), Images Plus Télévision Vosges (France)
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The arrival of rugby football in a small Moroccan town caused a strange, oval revolution amongst its inhabitants. Forgotten by everyone, these men and women whose daily life is little more than a struggle to survive, found a dignity and even a hope for the future of their children in the sport. The area of cultivated grass, in the middle of nowhere, came about through the energy of local kids. All these efforts are due to the dynamism of Papa Ali and Papa Hassan, both former rugby players brought up in working class districts who teach children the values of living together though the rules of the sport. The film shows us the boys and the girls whose families have been able to overcome their prejudices so they can play together on the field. All now hope that the unique experience of “Les Enfants de l’ovale” will bring about a change in the Moroccan society.