American Pharaoh

PBS announced it will air the 1-hour documentary American Pharaoh, which goes behind the scenes with the Egyptian national soccer team — the
“Pharaohs” — and its American coach, Bob Bradley. Scheduled to premiere in 2014, prior to the FIFA World Cup in June in Brazil, the film by Egyptian filmmaker Hossam Aboul-Magd follows the team’s efforts to qualify for soccer’s ultimate event for the first time in more than 20 years. In production for more than two years, with scenes still being shot, the film sets the soccer team’s challenge to succeed against the backdrop of the incredible turmoil in Egypt today.

“This is not just a film about soccer,” says Aboul-Magd. “This is about my country, my team, a coach I respect and the dream of capturing the World Cup in spite of enormous challenges. I see the goal of developing a strong team, in the middle of a revolution, as a metaphor for the rebuilding of Egypt.” (Source: PBS)