Greek ‘Hoop Dreams’ Follows Undocumented Daughters of African Migrants Shooting for Basketball Stardom

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As a basketball enthusiast, I hail from Athens with roots deeply embedded in West Africa. Alongside another aspiring teenager, we’re the main focus of “Home Court,” an enlightening documentary directed by Elpida Nikou and Rodrigo Hernandez. This compelling piece is gracing the Docs in Progress segment of Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival’s Agora industry strand.

Filmed over a span of four years, this movie chronicles the journey of Miriam and Gloria, two standout players on a junior women’s basketball team composed mainly of second-generation Greek girls, most being the kids of African immigrants. They excel on the court due to their remarkable skills, but they face challenges such as prejudice, financial struggles, and additional hurdles from a nation that denies them citizenship.

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Over four years, this film traces Miriam and Gloria’s story, both key players of a junior women’s basketball team predominantly made up of second-generation Greek girls, many of whom are daughters of African migrants. Their exceptional abilities shine on the court, but they encounter difficulties like prejudice, economic hardships, and more significant barriers from a country that does not acknowledge them as citizens.

‘Home Court’ – this is the second documentary feature collaboration by the directors, who were previously nominated for an International Emmy Award with ‘Serigne.’ The production is handled by Nikou and Hernandez under Zungu/SGv and Rea Apostolides and Yuri Averof from Greece’s Anemon Productions. This project also has cooperation from Kellen Quinn’s U.S.-based Hedgehog Films, Esther van Driesum and Maaike Neve of the Netherlands’ Bind, and Victor Ede of French production company Cinephage.

This movie received backing from various institutions such as the Greek Film Center, ERT Cinema Fund, Dutch National Film Fund (NL Film Fonds), Region Sud, and Creative Europe. In addition, it was honored with the Pitching Forum award during Thessaloniki’s Agora event in 2021.

The journey for “Rising Stars” Miriam and Gloria starts in Sepolia, a tough district centrally located in Athens, where NBA phenomenon Giannis Antetokounmpo, a local hero, has ignited the dreams of countless immigrant children to make their mark on the basketball court. Aspiring to emulate “The Greek Freak,” these two young women aim to attain international basketball fame by playing for the Antaios team.

At first, the directors zeroed in on a basketball team made up of children from migrant families as the focus for their story. However, they became enthralled when they encountered two determined young players, who were 15 at that time. “We eventually realized that the tale of these two girls is quite extraordinary,” said Hernandez, “as they come from a challenging background and have a genuine potential to make it as professional athletes.” Nikou added, “They don’t receive backing from their families.” In contrast, he noted, “the government presents obstacles in their path.” Furthermore, “economic instability, the neighborhood — everything seems to be working against them. Yet, they only have each other.

Miriam and Gloria present a striking duality. Miriam, the fiery and dominant one, is among five siblings of a recently freed Nigerian man. In stark contrast, shy and reserved Gloria resides with her Ghanaian father in a humble apartment, rarely communicating with a mother who has been living abroad for many years.

Over a span of four crucial years, we journey alongside this duo, starting with their humble beginnings in basketball, and chronicling their meteoric rise through Greece’s premier league. Amidst their burgeoning careers, they harbor ambitions to excel further in European basketball or secure scholarships for both study and play at American colleges. However, their dreams are hindered by their status as undocumented immigrants, lacking any official recognition from their home country.

According to Hernandez, these girls faced numerous obstacles during their childhood because they lacked resources and legal documents. In the eyes of the law, they aren’t classified as Greeks, Europeans, or Africans. These young ladies also encounter systemic sexism in institutions, constantly facing roadblocks in their pursuit of progress, making their journey to success a difficult climb.

Born to Nigerian parents, yet widely recognized as Greece’s most prominent figure in contemporary times, Giannis Antetokounmpo received his Greek citizenship just before the NBA draft, partly due to concerns that he could potentially represent Nigeria in international competitions.

Regardless of the complex legal and societal issues, Miriam and Gloria are primarily teenagers grappling with typical adolescent struggles, according to Hernandez. The film “Home Court” is a tale about these girls from troubled homes navigating their way through a world that fails to acknowledge or embrace them, or recognize their potential as the girls themselves do.

Nikou stated that they’re bursting with vitality and brimming with energy,” he added. “Moreover, their success is interdependent.

The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival runs from March 6 – 16.

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2025-03-10 23:49