8,000 miles from Jerusalem against the backdrop of the Andes Mountains in Santiago, existence is a triumph for the storied Club Deportivo Palestino professional football team.
Through the lens of the beautiful game, Discovering Tino is a documentary that explores the persistence of the largest Palestinian population outside the Middle East.
An unexpected story emerged on the recent World Cup stage as support for a Free Palestine was on display for the world to see. Victorious Arab and North African teams draped themselves in Palestinian flags, fans chanted, and even European sympathizers ended interviews exclaiming “Free Palestine!.”
Meanwhile, for more than a century the pitch has provided a unifying platform for hundreds of thousands of fans of a Palestinian-founded football club in Santiago, Chile—home to the largest Palestinian population outside of the Middle East.
Discovering Tino follows the community that is Club Deportivo (CD) Palestino—on and off the pitch. With interviews of fans, players, coaches, and the people who make Tino what it is, along with an inside look at game preparation and triumphs and losses—viewers will discover Palestine 8,000 miles away, and in the process grow closer to understanding the history and culture of a displaced people.
Discovering Tino counters politically propagandized views of Palestinians, celebrating the love of a game, the love of home, and, ultimately, a love for humanity.
The documentary will educate western audiences and explore truths about the Palestinian spirit.
Discovering Tino is a mixed-genre documentary including expository and observational elements. Using a combination of:
Discovering Tino will be in Spanish, English, and Arabic with English and possibly Levantine Arabic sub-titles.
Discovering Tino will be produced in an art house-style focused on tender human moments and conversations, combined with flashes of cinematic elements found in popular commercial soccer-themed productions.
Mayor
Mayor is a real-life political saga following Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of Ramallah, a portrait of dignity amidst the madness and absurdity of endless occupation while posing a question: how do you run a city when you don’t have a country?
Black and White Stripes: The Juventus Story
Black and White Stripes interweaves a family and their team's inspiring journey to recapture an ever illusive team spirit with key moments from their extraordinary legacy.
Jack to a King: The Swansea Story
Jack to a King is the remarkable true story of a rag tag group of football fans who saved Swansea City Football Club from oblivion and took them to the richest game in World Football, the Championship Play Off Final, with the ultimate prize being a place in the Premier League.
Gaza
Gaza brings us into a unique place beyond the reach of television news reports to reveal a world rich with eloquent and resilient characters, offering us a cinematic and enriching portrait of a people attempting to lead meaningful lives against the rubble of perennial conflict.
Discovering Tino will be primarily filmed in and around Santiago, Chile with some B-roll and possible original footage in Palestinian occupied territories.
― Mahmoud Darwish
A celebration of community—young and old--and a spirit of strength and resilience will emerge through intimate and public moments of inspiration.
A diverse, multi-lingual, global team on multiple continents will be involved in development, production, and post-production activities. It is expected that a local crew well-versed in local culture, language, and regulatory aspects of filming will be engaged for production in and around Santiago.
Executive Producer
Joel is an accomplished Palestinian-American executive and community investor turned writer who uses his imagination to complete and unify fragmented, diasporic Palestinian experiences.
A fellow of Cinephilia Productions –a New York-based film production company and talent incubator championing Middle Eastern and African Storytellers and filmmakers– Farran embraces the power of storytelling, to exalt exiled and occupied Palestinian experiences and positive representations to celebrate and advance just pursuits of self-determination.
Prior to that, Farran was Strategist and Chief Brand Officer for a large health care company where he was executive producer of multiple award-winning television brand advertising campaigns and also led large-scale community and company experiential events among other responsibilities. Farran recently rediscovered his love for the beautiful game and its power to unify. His favorite player is his 14-year old son, Gabriel.
Associate Producer
A native Chilean, José Miguel Burgos is a dynamic advocate, connector, and educator who advances positive ideas and change through programs, action, and advocacy. A competitive soccer player and decorated coach, Burgos learned at a young age the power of overcoming adversity to move hearts and achieve goals through teamwork, compassion, and community.
Whether as an educator and mentor to hundreds of youth or as a communicator to millions through campaigns and multi-media channels, Burgos’ passion to make a difference in people’s lives is what drives him professionally and personally. On the field, he has led winning players and teams built on a love of the beautiful game and compassion for those around him.
After joining CSD Deportes Concepcion in Concepcion, Chile, José Miguel went on to achieve a successful collegiate soccer career in the United States where he coaches and trains youth soccer players and consults for various youth academies and clubs.
Visual Advisor
Andrés is a talented art director and multimedia designer, specializing in the design of user-centered digital products. Like all people born in Argentina, the son of Italian immigrants, he is a fervent soccer fan.
As an illustrator, he has a background as a traditional animator for film and television. As a designer he has trained mostly in agencies where he has done branding, web design and motion graphics.
6 years ago he co-created a digital SaaS platform that helped football clubs to improve their relationship with their fans and their sponsors. For the last two years he has been working as a freelance product designer.
Following successful production, Distribution targets will include more than 20 Palestinian and Arab Film Festivals across cities in more than 10 countries and may extend to other foreign film festivals. The pursuit of commercial distribution may follow based on the initial reception of the film.
The distribution strategy will target Western, Middle Eastern, and Latin audiences in the thousands through traditional film festival theater and growing online virtual venues.
The following is a proposed high-level timeline subject to all necessary approvals, funding milestones, and production crew availability. Some adjustment to actual timing may be necessary within this sequence.
Interested in finding out how you get involved in Discovering Tino or would like to receive updates on progress?
Just send us an email to: