“We are aiming for a full release of the film later this year once its festival run finishes.

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The doc-film follows the lives of two boys who went from living on the streets of Karachi – tackling sexual violence, gang recruitment and substance abuse – to becoming national footballing heroes by winning the Bronze Medal for Pakistan in the Street Child World Cup in Rio. The film has won four international awards for best documentary/ excellence in the film festival circuit so far. Here is a link to two interviews about the journey of the film:

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The National – Interview (Concrete Dream

 https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/how-two-young-men-went-from-the-streets-of-karachi-to-playing-football-in-rio-1.1067818s) 

 

The Friday Times: 

https://www.thefridaytimes.com/concrete-dreams-some-roads-lead-home/#:~:text=Concrete%20Dreams%3A%20Some%20Roads,Calcutta%20International%20Cult%20Film%20Festival.

 

“Why I made the film? In Pakistan, the terror-and-panic rumour mill keeps us in its clutches by constantly peddling seething, doomsday narratives. It works in terms of commerce, because fear attracts far greater attention than positive broadcasts. What it’s done, however, is produced an anxiety epidemic, plaguing us with the alleged threat of Pakistan perpetually at the boil, teetering at the abyss. Happy news barely makes it to our screens. I wanted Concrete Dreams to bridle against that failed, victim poster-child narrative of Pakistan, and use a rose-colored lens to tell an equally authentic story.”

 

Saba is available for any further questions and to provide more information if you are interested.

 

If you would like to also be featured, please contact us through LinkedIn (Paul Flather), Facebook (The Vicky Noon Educational Foundation), or email (info.vnef@gmail.com). We love hearing from our scholars!

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The National interview link is here: 

 

https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/how-two-young-men-went-from-the-streets-of-karachi-to-playing-football-in-rio-1.1067818