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We were Rebels | © Perfect Shot Films
© Perfect Shot Films

We were Rebels

    All titles (2)
    Documentary | 2014 | ZDF [de] | History, War | Germany

    Shooting data

    LocationsSüdsudan

    Project data

    Length of movie1h 33min

    Brief synopsis

    The documentary film WE WERE REBELS tells the story of Agel, a former child soldier who returns to South Sudan to help build up his country. The film accompanies him over a period of two years – from South Sudan gaining its independence in 2011 to the renewed outbreak of civil war in December 2013. As captain of the national basketball team of South Sudan – the youngest country in the world – Agel coaches the team through their very first international match against Uganda. The conflicts within the team bear a striking resemblance to the political problems festering across the country. An injury ends up forcing Agel to leave the basketball team, and he goes on to form an NGO that provides the country’s most remote areas with clean drinking water. His journeys give him time to reflect on his country – on how it was, how it is, and how he hopes it will be one day.

    As a child soldier, Agel had to kill and also lost almost all of his male relatives. Later he managed to flee via Kenya to Australia, where he became a professional basketball player and returned to South Sudan as a free man. Today, just two years after gaining its independence, the world’s youngest nation is once again teetering on the edge of a precipice: More than half a million people are fleeing the country, and Agel is fighting as a soldier once again.

    (German documentaries)

    Crew

    ActivityNameComment
    Director of photographyFlorian Schewe
    Director of photographyChristoph Lumpe
    Director of photographyKatharina von Schroeder
    DirectorFlorian Schewe
    DirectorKatharina von Schroeder
    EditorAndré Nier
    ComposerJan Cziharz
    ProducerMichael Bogar
    Associate producerFlorian Schewe
    ScreenwriterChristoph Lumpe
    concept
    concept
    ScreenwriterKatharina von Schroeder
    concept
    concept
    Sound re-recording mixerNiklas Kammertöns
    Sound designerThomas Wallmann
    + Dialogschnitt
    + Dialogschnitt

    Production companies

    CompanyComment
    Perfect Shot Films GmbH [de]

    Awards

    Award winnerYearAwardCategory 
    Katharina von Schroeder2018Dok.fest München [de]
    Dok.special
    Dok.specialNominated
    Florian Schewe2016FIFDH Paris [fr]
    Grand prix du jury
    Grand prix du juryWinner
    Florian Schewe2016Human Rights Film Festival Guadeloupe [fr]
    Grand Prix
    Grand PrixWinner
    Florian Schewe2016Agon Film Festival [gr]
    Award for Historical Film
    Award for Historical FilmWinner
    Katharina von Schroeder2016FIFDH Paris [fr]
    Grand prix du jury
    Grand prix du juryWinner
    Katharina von Schroeder2016Human Rights Film Festival Guadeloupe [fr]
    Grand Prix
    Grand PrixWinner
    Katharina von Schroeder2016Agon Film Festival [gr]
    Award for Historical Film
    Award for Historical FilmWinner
    Florian Schewe2015Brooklyn Film Festival [us]
    Best Documentary
    Best DocumentaryWinner
    Florian Schewe2015Grimme Award [de]
    Information and culture
    Information and cultureWinner
    Florian Schewe2015Deutscher DokumentarfilmpreisNominated

    TV-broadcast

    TypeCountryStationDate / TimeComment
    First showingGermanyZDF [de]Monday, 14/07/2014