THE CHILDREN BEHIND ZALAGA
Karim Ali / Egypt, Germany / 2023 / 65 min / Colour
Italian premiereEuropean premiere
In South Sinai, every year young jockeys are selected to compete with their camels in the Zalaga race, the oldest camel race in Egypt. In Bedouin tradition, these children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, some as young as seven, are forced to give up school to participate in the race and earn money for their families. This leads them to put their well-being at risk, prompting international organisations and governments to step up efforts to eliminate child labour in the camel racing industry. The camera captures the looks of the children involved along with their words and those of those around them who convince them that it is the right thing to do.
Karim Ali
A documentary filmmaker, he studied Media Management at the Arab Academy of Sciences and Technology in Alexandria, Egypt. Airplane Mode (2017) was his debut short film set in Dahab in South Sinai, Egypt. His second documentary, The Children Behind Zalaga (2023), was selected by the IDFA Festival 2023 and Vision du Réel 2024.
Credits
Screenplay Karim AliCinematography Abdelrahman Aldakiki, Karim AliEditing Karim AliProducer Abdullah Mostafa, Mohamed SalamaProduction company Rolling Narratives, The Yellow Vee
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