2015 | Norway, Iraq | NR | 95 min.
The only thing Gona’s father loves more than
his beloved Real Madrid soccer team is his
daughter Gona. He even lovingly made a pair
of Kurdish shoes for his team’s famed star footballer
Cristiano Ronaldo—they sit in a place of
honor in his shop waiting for the day when he
can present them in person. Alan loves Gona,
too. He’s been saving up for years in the hopes
of making her his wife. But when he finally works
up the courage to ask for her hand, Gona’s father
rejects him, because Alan is a little person.
Crushed, Alan decides to embark on a road trip
with his brother Shirwan in a dream-big attempt
to impress Gona’s father: he will travel from Iraq
to Spain and deliver the shoes to Ronaldo. On a
scooter. In the middle of a desert. With no visas.
What could go wrong? Through the brothers’
eyes, director Halkawt Mustafa shows us an Iraq
we never get to see, combining everything we
love about classic road movies with a playfully
absurdist love story. This one-of-a-kind adventure—beautifully
filmed, wondrously fantastical,
and deeply humane—will make your heart soar