Champ of the Camp

Sunday 11/09 at St. Anthony Main Theatre 1:00pm | get tickets >>>

Synopsis:
The documentary Champ of the Camp explores the living conditions of labor camps in the United Arab Emirates through a fascinating lens. Outcast, homesick, and alienated, the laborers, largely from parts of the Indian subcontinent, live and work in the camps with limited freedom to travel within the UAE or back home. These expatriates seek to alleviate their angst by participating in a contest—”Champ of the Camp”—where their knowledge of Bollywood film and music is put to the test. Touching and demystifying, Champ of the Camp, like its contestants, finds levity and song in the dire and dour.

2013
75 minutes
Documentary feature
Directed by: Mahmoud Kaabour
Language: Hindi/English/Bhojpuri/Bengali/Urdu
Country: UAE/Qatar/Lebanon
Website | Trailer

“Subcontinental laborers in Dubai find distraction from hardships via musical contests in Mahmoud Kaabour’s slick and enjoyable documentary Champ of the Camp.”

Festivals and Awards:
-Dubai International Film Festival: Official Selection in Muhr Arab Documentary Competition
-Munich International Documentary Festival: Official Selection
-Asia Pacific Screen Awards: In Competition

Filmmaker bio (from distributor website):
Mahmoud Kaabour is from Lebanon and lives in the United Arab Emirates. His film Teta, Alf Marra (Grandma, a Thousand Times) screened in 50+ cities worldwide (including Minneapolis in the 2011 TCAFF), winning numerous awards. Kaabour’s first film, Being Osama (2005 TCAFF), a documentary of six men sharing bin Laden’s first name, received four international awards and aired on television worldwide. He is the founder and managing director of Veritas Films, the UAE’s leading non-fiction production company.