The one thing I truly enjoy about film festivals is once in a while you find a rare gem that stands out from the rest of all the hyped, star-studded, big-named indie films that draw a majority of the people to the festival in the first place.
A gem so good, it is incredible that no one else is talking about it. That film is "El Clàsico," from director Halkawt Mustafa. The story centers around two dwarf brothers, Alan and Shirwan, who both share a burning passion for soccer in their small Iraqi village. When Alan wants to marry his secret girlfriend Gona, he and his brother travel to the Real Madrid stadium to deliver specially made shoes (by Gona's father) to Cristiano Ronaldo to prove to Gona's father that he is more than capable of being Gona's husband. A hilarious, tear jerking, and completely relatable road trip ensues, and the film never once hits a flat note or goes off on weird tangents.
The film has the set up of a rom-com, though what happens between the bookends is light years different than any other in the genre. From hitching a ride on a goat truck to getting mugged by bandits to even ending up being put into a coffin... alive, this film tosses so many curve balls at you, yet it never feels like these events happen for the sake of happening. Everything is molded perfectly together and forms a beautifully whole, cohesive film.
I tip my cap to the screenwriters Anders Fagerholdt and Mustafa for keeping everything balanced and not convoluted with unnecessary plot distractions and useless drama. First time actors Wrya Ahmed and Dana Ahmed (assuming that they are really brothers because they both grew up in the same area of Iraq: Sulaymanyah) were perfectly cast because their on screen chemistry is incredibly organic. The supporting cast, including Rozhin Sharifi and Nassr Hassan, only add to this organic environment, making me further relate to this world that is so vastly different than mine. The film is in Iraqi with English subtitles, but you guys can get over it. The small sacrifice of reading subtitles is rewarded with a really good film.
If I could harp on something, it would be the script. I know I mentioned it only a few sentences ago, but there is a plague in indie cinema that has screenwriters dumping so much garbage into a single script that you become bombarded with so much useless information that you lose interest in the original plot. "El Clàsico" never once does this; it has a clear path that it travels down, and only strengthens your bond to the characters as the bond between brothers grows stronger. It's a strong script supported by great talent. Mr. Mustafa has a bright future as a director, because "El Clàsico" might be the best film at Tribeca Film Festival this year. If you had to choose one film to see at Tribeca that would be a sure fire bet, "El Clàsico"is that film.