Adam Sobel’s documentary The Workers Cup is the kind of feature that cannot be ignored. With the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, Qatar’s migrant population exploded with over 4000 Asian and African workers living in labor camps. Their jobs are strenuous and low paying, and the camp itself is akin to a prison. Keeping the 2022 Cup in the background, the film instead focuses on the workers’ own football tournament. Made up of workers from the 24 construction companies working in Qatar, the football players are stars when they hit the field, but find themselves on the lowest rung of the ladder otherwise.
A look inside modern oppression, Sobel’s film makes it a point to highlight each player’s personal struggle within a suffocating and destructive environment. What becomes clear from their stories is that the path toward a global “celebration” may be anything but.
Director Biography
Arkansas-born filmmaker Adam Sobel spent five years abroad in Qatar, a period that inspired his feature-film debut, The Workers Cup. Prior to the film’s release, Sobel has worked on projects for CNN, ITN and The Guardian.
Press
"The Workers Cup relates a riveting underdog tale about a quest for glory, while simultaneously probing the reality faced by the poorest people in the world's wealthiest country." - Screen Daily
Sponsored by:
