Inshallah Beijing!
For the Palestinian Olympic team, getting to Beijing is already a victory
Ghadir dreams that at last someone will buy her some running shoes. Nader trains whilst dodging missiles and mines. Zakia can't get a permit from the military to get to the swimming pool. Meet the 2008 Palestinian Olympic team- poorly trained, ill-equipped and competing for a country that doesn't exist yet. Will the ultimate underdogs make it in Beijing?
'Long distance running takes a lot of patience and perseverance. Like life for us Palestinians' says Nader. He is Palestine's hope for the 5000m run. Yet his training routine will no doubt differ from many of his competitors in Beijing. 'Lift the tyres 12 times! Now put them down and run!' shouts his trainer. Nader has obtained several permits in order to leave Gaza for the Olympic games. Yet an Israeli officer may come and take him back to Gaza at any time. 'God willing, I'll get to Beijing' Nader mutters, determination in his eyes.
'When I'm running I feel good: I feel like I'm flying' says Ghadir. 16 years old and mischievous, she views running as an escape from the turmoil of growing up in a walled state. 'Everyone says that as long as I do sport I'll never get married!' she says with positive delight. But when the team finally scrabble together enough money to get to China, leaving Palestine for the first time and adjusting to a new culture, proves a hurdle all of its own. 'It's cooked Chinese style!' Zakia cries in disgust, pushing a bowl of chicken noodles away. 'No one has eaten anything' cries their exasperated trainer -'You don't understand 'warm up'?' smirks a rival coach- 'I want to go home' moans Ghadir. How will this ragbag team of wannabees, trained on tires and bullet-dodging, fare when the gun fires at the Olympics?
FULL SYNOPSIS
'When I'm running I feel good: I feel like I'm flying' says Ghadir. 16 years old and mischievous, she views running as an escape from the turmoil of growing up in a walled state. 'Everyone says that as long as I do sport I'll never get married!' she says with positive delight. But when the team finally scrabble together enough money to get to China, leaving Palestine for the first time and adjusting to a new culture, proves a hurdle all of its own. 'It's cooked Chinese style!' Zakia cries in disgust, pushing a bowl of chicken noodles away. 'No one has eaten anything' cries their exasperated trainer -'You don't understand 'warm up'?' smirks a rival coach- 'I want to go home' moans Ghadir. How will this ragbag team of wannabees, trained on tires and bullet-dodging, fare when the gun fires at the Olympics?