DC Area Premiere

Can one be a competitor without any competition? The members of the Iranian Women’s National Football Team possess fierce determination and ambition, but lack a rival. Under strict Iranian law, only men can participate in, or even be a spectator to, sports matches. Thus, the young women may practice all they want but may never compete.

Thousands of miles, and seemingly worlds away, Marlene—the young left-back in her German soccer club—learns of the Iranian women’s situation and determines to correct it. With her team’s support, she puts a plan into motion that would allow them to travel to Tehran and engage in a friendly match against the Iranian squad. But when German efficiency collides with Iran’s Kafkaesque bureaucracy, Marlene must confront the complexities of gender roles in a strict Islamic society. While the Iranian team is naturally thrilled by the prospect of a match, the government receives the invitation with suspicion and trepidation.

After a year of tireless struggle and unwavering determination, Marlene’s team is finally approved to travel to Tehran and make history. FOOTBALL UNDER COVER is a riveting testament to the power of one person to challenge a system, and it speaks the universal language of soccer: “Gooooooal!”

—Sky Sitney