This is the story of the Milanese grassroots football team Saint Ambreous. This team is made by and with migrants. The ethos, nurtured by fans, volunteers, players and coaches is all about inclusion. It leaves no room for racism. This documentary portrays Saint Ambreous as a space where all involved (migrants, locals, young and old) foster the human right to express oneself, to simply be together. In this case, with a football.
In this backstory:
Through the grapevines
The idea for this documentary came at one of the project meetings in Eindhoven in February 2020. There, contributor to the project Gian Marco Duina, explained his journey and efforts in the establishment of the Saint Ambreous team. It was recognised by the project’s Creative Director Stefano di Pietro as a story that matters. During the covid-19 pandemic, plans for the production were postponed, but eventually in September 2020 it was possible to film, coinciding with the start of the football season – still impacted by the pandemic – and explore what has driven the people of this team to foster inclusion with football.
Voices of friends
Here is a football team made of refugees and asylum seekers that aims for the recognition of the fundamental rights for many asylum seekers who have to wait years before even being able to play football with their team in Milan (Italy). Through interviews with Gian Marco (Co-Founder and Manager), Laye (Defender of the team), and Camilla (young supporter of the team) we enter the story of a group of young people who day after day try to contribute to a positive and more inclusive society through football.
The bigger picture
The stories and voices in the documentary shed light on many societal issues of Europe today. Educators could use many different elements in the stories of the protagonists and explore difficult themes with young people. How can playing football be seen as a human right? What does that say about the situation of asylum seekers who lack the papers to play? What does meaningful activism look like? What does solidarity constitute? And more. We are eager to hear from you if you use this film in formal and non-formal education, and give young people a voice through our channels as well.
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