Men in the Arena
2017•1h 26m•8.0•Released
Documentary
A touching story of friendship, struggle and triumph, the film follows the journey of two Somali national soccer team friends chasing their dreams in the face of impossible odds. After surviving two decades of war, Saadiq, 17, and Sa’ad, 19, the team’s most promising stars, enter the only televised match of the year hoping scouts will be watching. With passports of no value on the world stage, soccer may be their only shot to escape a growing terror threat, persecution and poverty. Against the backdrop of fear and shared sacrifice, they embark on separate but equally improbable journeys. In the opportunity of a lifetime, Saadiq sets off for America with dreams of an education and a soccer career. Sa’ad continues his career in Mogadishu with the hopes of someday being reunited with his friend. Their biggest dream is shared – to be symbols of hope to generations who have only known war.
Director
J.R. Biersmith
Languages
English
Studio
2728 Pictures
Recommended
7.3
Facing Ali
2009
7.3
Beyond the Mat
1999
6.5
Counterpunch
2017
7.1
The Class of ‘92
2013
7.2
Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20
2022
7.4
The Battered Bastards of Baseball
2014
7.8
Lionel Messi: Destiny
2023
6.4
A Toxic Love Story
2026
7.1
Get Me Roger Stone
2017
6.3
Maradona by Kusturica
2008
7.2
Come See Me in the Good Light
2025
7.1
The Mole: Undercover in North Korea
2020
7.5
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
2018
8
My Mom Jayne
2025
7.5
The Seat
2025
7.6
To Kill a Tiger
2023
7.1
Marvel's Behind the Mask
2021
6.9
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin
2003
6.4
Gascoigne
2015
6.2
Seduced and Abandoned
2013
Similar Movies
8.7
Conscience and the Constitution
2000
America's Game: 2001 New England Patriots
2007
The City that Never Rests
1928
8
Sport in America: Our Defining Stories
2013
From Cervera to Tokyo
2017
6.9
Germany: A Summer's Fairytale
2006
America's Game: 2003 New England Patriots
2007
America's Game: 2004 New England Patriots
2007
America's Game: 2014 New England Patriots
2015
America's Game: 2016 New England Patriots
2017
America's Game: 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2021
America's Game: 2018 New England Patriots
2019
Adam
2019
7.3
Road
2014
Sketches
2017
Duke of Connaught's Indian Tour
1921
7.3
Beyond the Mat
1999
6.3
The Heart of the Game
2005
7.6
Hoop Dreams
1994
7.1
Murderball
2005