Out of the Ashes

Against a backdrop of war and poverty Out of the Ashes traces the extraordinary journey of a team of young Afghan men as they chase a seemingly impossible dream shedding new light on a nation beyond that of burqas bombs drugs and devastation This featurelength documentary follows the Afghan cricket team in their quest against the odds to qualify for the 2011 World Cup premiering at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 17th June Backed by BBC Storyville and Oscarwinning director and cricket fan Sam Mendes Out of the Ashes follows the squad over two years as they go from playing in their shalwarkameezes on rubble pitches to batting their way around the globe and up the international league tables