BAGHDAD MESSI

 Director: SAHIM OMAR KALIFA

 Time: 88’

 Year of Production: 2023

 Language: KURDÎ-EREBÎ

 Subtitle: TIRKÎ-INGILÎZÎ

Synopsis

Hamoudi is a football-crazy eleven-year-old who lives in Baghdad and idolises Lionel Messi. Even after he loses a leg in a terrorist attack, Hamoudi fights for his dream. Meanwhile his parents struggle to secure the family’s future.

Biography

Sahim Omar Kalifa (born 1980, in Zakho, Iraqi Kurdistan) is a Belgian-Kurdish filmmaker based in Belgium. In 2001, he came to Belgium, and in 2008 he got his Master’s degree in filmmaking at Sint-Lukas Film School, Brussels. Kalifa has won 96 international awards with his short films Land of the Heroes, Baghdad Messi, and Bad Hunter. The biggest achievements so far are: A-Jury Prize as Best Short film for ‘Land of the Heroes’ at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival – Generation. B- ‘Baghdad Messi’ was shortlisted for the 87th Academy awards, the Oscars. It was one of the 10 finalists. C- ‘Bad Hunter’ was also shortlisted for the 88th Academy awards, the Oscars.