Soccer Short Film Special 'WE LOVE SOCCER' Launches Today, June 3, on Online Cinema BSSTO

The once-every-four-years soccer festival that engulfs the world in excitement is about to begin. To coincide with this special time when the world is buzzing with the fierce battles unfolding in stadiums, the online theater 'Brillia SHORT SHORTS THEATER ONLINE (BSSTO)' is launching a special program today, featuring four selected short films with a soccer motif, titled 'WE LOVE SOCCER —The Drama That the Ball Connects Us—'.
URL: https://sst-online.jp/magazine/19397/

Soccer is not just a sport; it is sometimes called a 'universal language' that transcends language barriers, gives hope to people living in harsh environments, and connects people and society.
This special feature presents human dramas that are both surprising and touching, including 'Passarinho' from Mexico, which depicts pure passion for a beloved player and the fresh growth of girls taking a step into adulthood; 'Desert Lights' from Chile, a story of bonds where boys in the harsh environment of a drought place their last hope on a single ball; 'Dandelions Girl' from Iran, which sharply cuts into the walls of society and culture and the boundary between adult and child conscience through a children's soccer match; and 'GIFT' from Japan, where a former refugee youth and a boy, both carrying loneliness, connect through soccer. These films showcase the special bonds created by a single ball and reveal children's perspectives on society through soccer.
Please enjoy 'another soccer story' projected on the screen, along with the soccer fervor enveloping the world.
*Each film will be available for streaming for three months. They can be viewed for free after user registration.

'WE LOVE SOCCER ~The Drama That the Ball Connects Us~' Lineup

'Dedicated to Messi and My Beloved Mother'
'Passarinho'
Streaming starts June 3

Director: Natalia García Agraz / Mexico / Drama / 2024 / 12:30
Olivia and Laura, two 13-year-old teenagers, are planning to get the autograph of their idol, Brazilian soccer player Passarinho. However, just before executing their plan, Olivia gets her first period.
A film director and screenwriter from Mexico. She graduated from the National Center for Film Education in Mexico in 2023. Her short film 'The Last Romantic' was nominated for the Student Academy Awards in 2019 and participated in over 60 international film festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, and Morelia International Film Festival. She is currently producing her first feature film, 'Acapulco'.

'Names Increasing on a White Ball. A Record of a Team That Will Never Return'
'Desert Lights'
Streaming starts June 10

Director: Katherina Harder / Chile / Drama / 2021 / 18:56
Antay, a 12-year-old living in the middle of the Atacama Desert, witnesses his town becoming desolate due to drought. Along with his soccer teammates and friends, he places his last hope on the bonds with those who try to stay in the town until the end.
A film and television director from Chile. Co-founder and director of the Iquique International Film Festival. Her short films have been screened at major international festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival, FICGuadalajara, Mar del Plata International Film Festival, and Energa Camerimage International Film Festival. 'Desert Lights' has won over 34 international awards and is a candidate for the Academy Awards. She is currently writing the script for a feature film.

'When Fighting Spirit Becomes a 'Crime''
'Dandelions Girl'
Streaming starts June 17

Director: Azadeh Masihzadeh / Iran / Drama / 2025 / 19:43
Rojha, an 11-year-old girl living in northern Iran, dreams of playing soccer. She tries to persuade the boys to let her play with them. Kobar, frustrated by Rojha's display of her talent as a goalkeeper, pushes her, causing her head to hit the goalpost. Thinking she is dead, Kobar's father tries to alter the testimony of everyone who witnessed the incident to protect his son.
She produced her first short film, '360 Degrees', in 2014, which was screened at numerous film festivals. Later, while studying directing at Karnameh Film School, she participated in a workshop by Asghar Farhadi and produced her first documentary, 'All Winners, All Losers'. Although her film was plagiarized by Farhadi, she later completed this work.

'Words Are Unnecessary. The Warmth That Soccer Connects'
'GIFT'
Streaming starts June 24

Director: Yuichiro Nakata / Japan / Drama / 2022 / 25:00
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a former refugee youth working as an Uber delivery person has his bicycle stolen. This incident leads him to meet a Japanese boy raised in a single-parent household, and through cooking and playing soccer together, they deepen their familial bond.
Born in Tokyo and raised in Chiba Prefecture, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in physics, then majored in astrophysics at the graduate school of the University of Munich, Germany. After dropping out, he worked for a foreign-affiliated manufacturer and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan before entering the world of filmmaking. After taking a scriptwriting workshop at Film 24-ku, he continues to create works independently. He is a big cat lover and lives with two cats he rescued. His 2018 short film 'Goodbye my son' was screened in over 70 countries, including Cannes. In 2019, he participated in the Kyoto Filmmakers' Period Drama Lab's Shochiku team. In 2022, he produced the short film 'Gift', depicting the interaction between a Syrian refugee delivery person and a Japanese boy from a single-parent household. In 2022, he graduated from the International Business Film Academy at the Busan Film School as the only Japanese student that year. He is currently planning and producing his first feature-length fantasy film, 'The Door to the Last Summer'.

'Brillia SHORT SHORTS THEATER ONLINE'

An online theater that streams short films carefully selected by the international short film festival 'Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia' every Wednesday.
It started in February 2018, taking over the brand of 'Brillia Short Short Theater', a theater specializing in short films that operated in Yokohama Minato Mirai from February 2008 to December 2017.
With a simple membership registration, you can watch about 12 films for free at any time. Although the films are short, the theater aims to deliver wonderful films to your daily life that teach you about human kindness, strength, and rich life hints. It also publishes articles with tips on incorporating movies into your life.
https://sst-online.jp/