OneGate Media
German with English subtitle
1 x 90 min
Worldwide

Ben’s village is doomed: an open-pit brown coal mine will swallow it soon. The 11-year old boy and his family have to move to the nearby city of Duren. Ben is looking forward to his new life, but soon enough he becomes disillusioned. At the new school, Ben feels left out and is bullied. On very bad days Ben secretly escapes to his old abandoned village for comfort. Being a decent and enthusiastic football player Ben soon makes friends within his new team. That is until the other outsider at school, 12-year-old Tariq, a Syrian refugee, shows up at the football pitch. To Ben’s dismay, he turns out to be an excellent player and outshines Ben. Out of jealousy and hurt Ben secretly wishes Tariq ill. The two start out as competitors, but soon they find out that they have more in common than they thought.

Awards:
Winner – German Film Critics Award – Best Children’s Film (2021)
Winner – Molodist International Film Festival – Teen Screen Competition (2019)