A coming-of-age story about the importance of teamwork in the face of life’s challenges – no matter their size
When eleven-year-old Mona and her Kurdish family have fled Syria for a new life in Berlin’s Wedding district, she discovers that starting over is not easy. Struggling with bullies, language barriers, and cultural divides in her chaotic primary school, Mona finds an ally in her kind-hearted teacher, Mr. Che, who recognises her talent for football. But tensions flare when she joins the competitive girls’ football team, and Mona and her classmates must learn to work together if they want to win.
With its distinctive camerawork, direct-to-the-audience narration and a highly memorable performance from lead actress Dileyla Agirman, Winners is a charming coming-of-age story about the importance of resilience and teamwork in the face of life’s challenges – no matter their size.
Soleen Yusef (1987, Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan) fled to Germany with her family at the age of nine. After training as a singer and actress, she studied directing at the Baden-Wurttemberg Film Academy. Her student film Trattoria premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2012, the year in which she also won the Germany Scholarship. Her work includes productions for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, and in 2024 she was selected as a talent for Face to Face with German Films. Winners is her first children’s film
