Club Classics: Out of the Ashes

For our August summer season we will screen one of the classics from our documentary catalogue every Wednesday night. The film will start at 7.30pm, opt for our £15 special offer for both the screening and a classic from our clubroom menu, 6pm onwards.

An inspirational documentary following the extraordinary quest of the Afghan cricket team to qualify for the 2011 World Cup. Against a backdrop of war and poverty, Out of the Ashes, traces the remarkable journey of a team of young Afghans as they chase a seemingly impossible dream – shedding new light on a nation beyond burqas, bombs, drugs and devastation.

Backed by BBC Storyville and Executive Produced by Oscar-winning director and cricket fan, Sam Mendes, the film follows the Afghan cricket squad over two years as they go from playing in their shalwar-kameezes on rubble pitches to batting their way around the globe and up the international league tables. The film reveals a more human side to this beleaguered country which has been occupied almost continuously for three decades. It travels from refugee camps in Pakistan – where many of the players learned the game as boys – to practice sessions in Kabul and on to the qualifying tournaments overseas.

With unrestricted behind-the-scenes access at international matches, the film follows the ups and downs of their epic journey. Witty, touching and nail-biting to the end, Out of the Ashes is a compelling story of triumph over adversity.

Directed by Tim Albone and Lucy Martens
Duration: 90′
Year: 2010