17-0: The Untold Story (Working Title)
Qumra Projects
/ Short Documentary / Qatar
In Arabic, English
Rated: This film has not been rated.
- Come back soon to see screening dates
Synopsis
‘17-0: The Untold Story’ tells the story of the bravery and hidden sacrifice of the first-ever Qatar Women’s National Football Team (QWNFT) through the personal experience of team captain, Fatma Al-Ghanim. The story of this team begins twelve years ago—nearly two months prior to the historic December 2nd, 2010 announcement that named Qatar as the host country to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™—when a group of passionate young ladies from Qatar made football history of their own by breaking cultural barriers to become the first-ever players to debut as the QNWFT.
Set against the backdrop of the football frenzy that surrounded the build-up of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 bid campaign, the newly formed QWNFT was prematurely fielded to play the opening match of the 2010 Arabia Cup on live television—a game in which the QNWFT was mercilessly thrashed 17-0 by a much more experienced opponent. Despite the heavy loss, the match was historic not only because it marked the debut of the QWNFT, but it also marked the first time the public witnessed the breaking of a cultural taboo: Qatari women playing football in public and on live TV.