Short doc recalls AEK’s defiant 1999 trip to bombed Belgrade

Twenty-seven years aft 1 of the astir singular acts successful European sports history, a abbreviated documentary revisits the infinitesimal when Greek nine AEK Athens traveled to Belgrade successful the midst of war to play a symbolic soccer lucifer promoting bid and solidarity.

On April 7, 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, AEK defied volatile conditions to look Partizan Belgrade successful a friendly. What mightiness person been a regular sporting lawsuit became a almighty motion of unity, sending an planetary connection of peace, quality dignity and support for civilians affected by the conflict.

That story is the absorption of “The Game of Solidarity: AEK – Partizan 1999,” a abbreviated documentary by filmmaker Ismini Sakellaropoulou, which reconstructs the historical inaugural done uncommon archival footage, firsthand testimonies and a communicative attack that emphasizes the unifying powerfulness of sport.

The movie premiered connected November 22, 2025, astatine the 11th Peloponnisos International Documentary Film Festival, held successful collaboration with the Nordic/Docs Documentary Film Festival. The concern highlighted increasing taste ties betwixt Greece and Norway and underscored the relation of planetary co-productions successful fostering originative exchange.

The documentary was besides portion of a broader micro-documentary contention aimed astatine promoting intercultural collaboration. Nordic participants included Maria Benjaminsdottir, Ingrid Fadnes and Marius Captare, while the Greek entries featured Sakellaropoulou, Irida Mouzou and Alkistis Voulgari.

Sakellaropoulou’s movie has since been selected by respective festivals successful Greece and abroad, earning notable distinctions. It was precocious screened successful Athens astatine the Iris cinema connected March 26, arsenic portion of the Greece International Film Festival.

Speaking astir the project, Sakellaropoulou said the thought emerged while researching AEK’s history. “As an pedagogue and filmmaker who loves sport, I judge such acts should beryllium remembered and not slice into oblivion – cinema is simply a way to sphere them,” she said.

She added that rising violence successful and astir stadiums makes such stories adjacent much relevant. “What moved maine astir was the contiguous effect of each the contributors to bring this thought to life,” she noted, highlighting the publication of lensman Theodoros Georgiou, who provided 63 images from the 1999 trip.

The documentary besides features archival interrogation worldly from Manolis Glezos, the precocious anti-Nazi absorption fig and erstwhile MEP, who reflected connected the affectional interaction of the match, recalling however the two peoples embraced wrong the stadium contempt the struggle surrounding them.

The accumulation progressive a wide team of collaborators. Aris Tsimogiannis served arsenic subordinate manager and enforcement producer, while Nikos Koromilas handled cinematography and, together with Konstantinos Palikaras, sound. Motion graphics were created by Mariareta Androulaki. Archival worldly was sourced from aggregate contributors, including media outlets and AEK supporters.

The film’s narration is delivered by histrion and AEK supporter Giannis Vouros, while erstwhile players such arsenic Ilias Atmatzidis and Charis Kopitsis – some participants successful the 1999 lucifer – look successful interviews filmed astatine the AEK History Museum.

The AEK anthem was re-recorded by the Kalavryta Philharmonic Orchestra, adding different furniture of humanities and affectional resonance.