Zambeef back inspirational soccer film

Zambia Products has unveiled a K1.5 million sponsorship deal to support an award-winning new movie that captures the passion, excitement and national pride of the Zambian football team.

The fortunes of the national Chipolopolo team – from the lows of the 1993 Gabon air crash to the highs of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) victory – are chronicled in the film, e18hteam.

“This movie goes to the heart of the nation’s love of soccer and documents an important part of our history, and for this reason Zambeef is proud to be supporting the project, encouraging a young Zambian film maker and ensuring that this story is   and preserved for future generations,” said Joint Chief Executive Officer Carl Irwin.

In a landmark deal between the corporate and creative industries, Zambeef has provided the funding to enable the producers of the movie, Ngosa Chungu and Juan Rodrigues-Briso, to acquire the world rights to archive footage of historic Zambian football matches. The funds will also pay for e18hteam to be shown across the country and at international film festivals globally

The film has already won two awards, and in May it will be screened at the prestigious Cannes Cinema, a celebration of global film alongside the Cannes Film Festival in France.

Zambeef will be launching the e18hteam Dibili tour that will see the film screened around Zambia in the run-up to an official launch in Lusaka in October.

“Zambeef has exposed what we have known all along, that the Chipolopolo story of tragedy and triumph mirrors every Zambian’s experience. We have been able to bounce back from the many setbacks we have faced as a young nation. We have proven that we not only know we have the potential to achieve greatness, but also that when given the opportunity, when called upon, we have the ability to be successful and we can deliver, we are delivering and we will continue to deliver together as Zambians,” said Ms Chungu, a young Zambian film producer who is also passionate about football.

The movie marks the latest milestone in Zambeef’s long association with football. Its Zamleather division makes the popular Kaleza Z-12 model leather soccer boots, the first to be locally designed and manufactured in Zambia.

Zamleather is also home to the Alive & Kicking employment-generation project that manufacturers quality leather soccer balls that carry health messages and are distributed to under-privileged teams nationwide.

Throughout its history Zambeef has supported a number of football teams playing in leagues and at community level, and has groomed footballers at the grassroots including AFCON 2012 squad member James Chamanga.

Dr Irwin added: “It is a measure of our commitment to this project that we have dug deep into our pockets at this time in the economic cycle. Sometimes you have to think big, take the long view and just go for it, and this is an approach that Zambeef has taken right from the beginning of its own history. And this faith has already paid off, as today I can announced that e18hteam has already won two awards and will be shown at Cannes Cinema next month. This in itself is an inspiration and a reminder of the importance of determination and teamwork.”