This sports drama was banned in its home country years ago: locals still don’t know the ending

Most sports movies are very similar. But some of them go against all the rules and are even banned in their home countries. This is what happened to a movie about football. However, this ban did not stop it from achieving international success.

What kind of movie is this?

We are talking about the film “Offside”, which was released in 2006. The film was shot in Iran, and the plot was based on the real story of the screenwriter: his daughter was not allowed to attend a football match, because in the country it is forbidden for women to attend sports events for men, and vice versa. The girl eventually reached the stadium by a roundabout way.

This is what happened in the movie. A group of girls dress up as boys and try to sneak into a game. Some of them end up being caught and detained, where they are kept under armed guard. However, one of the guards still shows mercy and informs the prisoners about the game’s progress.

Still from the movie “Offside”

By the way, the film was shot at a real match and the director had two ending options depending on the outcome of the game. Viewers were happy with the film: it has 7.1 points on Kinopoisk and 7.3 on IMDb. But in Iran, almost no one has seen the film.

Still from the movie “Offside”

The film was banned, of course, because it demonstrated actions that were prohibited by the ruling regime. At the same time, “Offside” received the “Silver Bear” at the Berlin International Film Festival. There was a glimmer of hope that the ban would be lifted, but alas. Most people in the country do not even know the ending.