Football is not only a game; it also has a deep side. Football is about teams, players, and scores. However, this game has also the power of bringing people together. In a country that has faced a long civil war, Lebanon has witnessed Lebanese people pulling apart from each other. Tony El Khoury and Anthony Lappé, two filmmakers, decided to make a short film about the impact of football in bringing peace in Lebanon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WZil0_el-Y The documentary “Lebanon Wins the World Cup”, which was shot during the world cup in 2014, brings two Lebanese war veterans together. In fact, they were enemies during the
. Despite their different political views, they have one thing in common, which is their love for the Brazilian football team. The movie got screened in many Lebanese regions with the support of USAID’s Office of Transitions Initiative (OTI).
The power of this game
This project aimed at bringing the Lebanese youth together with the power of football specifically in the zones that are affected by conflicts. The movie toured in Tripoli, Akkar, Wadi Khaled, Bekaa, and Ras Baalbek. In fact, more than 1,000 youths attended the screenings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6SsbKksOZ4 The screenings were accompanied by football tournaments where people from different regions, that often have tense relations with each other, played together. Who knew that football has the power of bringing peace?
