Running On Sand

Despite living legally in Israel for five years, Eritrean refugee Aumari is slated for deportation on a technicality. After ducking immigration authorities at the airport, he becomes the unlikely and very perplexed recipient of a hero’s welcome, courtesy of local football club Maccabi Netanya. Mistaken for an eagerly anticipated Nigerian striker who is supposed to arrive at the same time, Aumari is in an absurd situation. Though completely lacking a fundamental knowledge of the sport, he finds himself the face of the franchise. Caught between his new identity as “Jimmy Mikel,” the nascent star invigorating the team and fanbase, and the refugee with expired papers, Aumari must remain focused on his mission: keeping his identity under wraps long enough to secure safe passage out of the country to reunite with his beloved younger brother.