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A GROUP of Bahraini documentary makers have shed light on the kingdom’s footballing females in a bid to showcase their rise in the sporting ranks at film festivals around the globe, writes Mai Al-Khatib Camille.
The Goalden Girls short film was part of the second edition of the Project Documentaries programme, put together by the US Embassy of Bahrain, Youth Affairs Ministry, Jaan Click Media and American Film Showcase.
The programme featured intensive classes with renowned American producers and directors for Bahrainis aged 18-35. The individuals were split into groups and tasked to shed light on a team, in documentary form, over the span of a month.
“We were among the lucky ones to be accepted into the programme out of more than 90 applicants,” Shaikha Dwa bint Khalid Al Khalifa, producer of Goalden Girls, told GulfWeekly.
Well-known and rising director Mariam Abdulghaffar mentored the group and the idea of telling the tale of female footballers in Bahrain was unanimous.
“As a group, we harmonised well and decided on this topic due the remarkable story of the team that goes beyond women’s football. It is an inspirational tale of how a group of girls never gave up believing in themselves and chasing their dreams,” said Shaikha Dwa, who participated in the first FIFA-ranked matches way back in 2007.
“The concept of a girl playing football back then was not widely accepted, whether socially or in an organisational way, due to the lack of an official league or any form of national representation.”
The beauty of the documentary is that it shares the story of the team and the movement as a whole.
The film-makers incorporated different female national Bahrain team players, coaches and their family members, along with b-roll footage of the youth team playing, the first team training and archival footage of games that were televised and newspaper clippings.
“There are a lot more stories concerning this team — the achievements, the tournaments, the defeats, the coexistence and the triumphs over adversity,” explained Shaikha Dwa. “We knew it would not be possible to include everything, so we had to narrow it down to try to shape the story as best as we could.”
The documentary includes interviews with head of the Women’s Football Committee and the driving force behind the establishment of the team, Shaikha Hussa bint Khalid Al Khalifa as well as coach Khalid Al Harban, who managed the team for many years.
Players that can be seen in the film include goalkeeper Shaikha Nouf bint Khalid Al Khalifa, midfielder Alia Al Mudhaki, defender Manar Ebrahim, former striker and defender and GDN assistant deputy news editor Reem Al Daaysi, and midfielder Yasmeen Fayez. Um Fawaz, who is the mother of Manar, has also been featured in the documentary.
Women’s football really took off in the kingdom in 2002 when Shaikha Hussa and her friends approached, what was known back then as, the General Organisation for Youth and Sports, to promote the game.
In 2004, Bahraini women had their first taste of international competition at the West Asian Tournament held in Jordan. Their fortunes gradually improved as they gained experience, brought in qualified coaches and recruited more girls from schools.
In 2006, the national team took part in the first Arab Women’s Tournament with teams from Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine.
“It has been quite a journey,” added Shaikha Dwa. “Since then, we have firmly established ourselves as a leading national team within the Arab and West Asia region, rising in FIFA rankings to 64th in the world and playing in regional matches as well as games in Europe under the UEFA competitions.
“There are now girls playing football all over the island. We did not have these opportunities when we were younger. Now, there are teams from the Under-12 level, right up to the national team.
“I believe women’s football is no longer on the sidelines. It is very much prominent and present. I think the biggest win is that it’s no longer seen as ‘not a girl’s sport’ or ‘not socially acceptable’ or not part of the sports and community in Bahrain.
“The number of footballing special young girls joining up are in the hundreds and that is so encouraging to see.”
The documentary premiered during an event held by the Ministry and the US Embassy at one of the cinemas at a popular mall in Bahrain, in January.
It is not publicly available yet as the team will be first submitting it for film festivals in the region and worldwide.
