Streetball

Film

by Demetrius Wren

Details

South Africa / 2010 / 80mins / Documentary / English

In Cape Town, there are two realities. Sixteen years after the end of apartheid, South Africa prepares to host the FIFA World Cup and the country is ripe with celebration. New hot spots, airports and stadiums were built to welcome travelers from around the world. However, there remains a generation that lives in extreme poverty, with many youth falling into lives of violence, drugs and abuse. Streetball is a fast paced documentary that tells the stories of South Africa's 2008 Homeless World Cup team. The Homeless World Cup is an annual soccer tournament that draws teams from over 56 countries-comprised of homeless and the excluded. The SA Squad consists of ex-convicts, former gangsters, orphans and recovering drug addicts that band together to represent their country, proving that no one is beyond redemption. Streetball is a story of hope and of the resilience that dwells within the human spirit. But while these men's dreams are simply to have a home and to be recognized as people who need care, often times the realization of those dreams is accompanied by a sobering reality.

Trailer

About the Director

Demetrius Wren

Demetrius Wren is a Los Angeles based filmmaker and freelance producer. Born in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Demetrius received a BFA in film at the Florida State University Film School. He spent 6 years working in New York City. Highlights include the short film Of My God (Boston International Film Festival, Santa Barbara Film Festival, Young Cuts Toronto Film Festival), the feature length documentary Streetball (Hollywood Film Festival, Cape Winelands Film festival, BET Urban World Film Festival), the children's television show Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (director, live action segments). Learn More