Freedom Fields

Through a period of five years, director Naziha Arebi has followed a bunch of girls who de facto function as the women’s national football team in Libya during both civil war and revolution. These are girls from all over Libya, who are the opposite of all prejudices against oppressed women from Muslim countries. When their trip to an international tournament in Lebanon is about to get cancelled, the girls are not afraid to express their opinions against conservative forces in the football federation and the society in general.

The filmmakers have made a truly intimate portrait of the girls. In one moment, we witness quarrels with coaches, and in the next we are let in on the girls’ thoughts about their own future as well as the country’s. In addition, the soundtrack is splendid. Despite all the challenges the team faces, the film manages to create hope for the future, and demonstrates with clarity that sports can have symbolic effects far beyond itself.

Naziha Arebi (1984) grew up in Hastings, England with an English mother and a Libyan father. Freedom Fields is her debut film as a director. She has studied theater and has previously worked both as an actress and as cinematographer. After her studies, she moved to Libya to understand her cultural heritage better. Currently, Arebi has several ongoing projects, both as a documentary producer and feature film director.