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The story begins with the arrival of the tragic heroes in Serbia. Eighteen months later, the story ends with their departure from the airport, their melancholy mentor, the filmmaker Mladen Maticevic, waving goodbye. By then, the dream of the three Ethiopian long-distance runners who hoped for a career in Europe lies in tatters. In a calm tempo, Maticevic follows the three athletes throughout this time, getting involved in the developing situation like a kind of life coach. The three Ethiopians also have an athletics trainer. Their relationship with him does not always go as smoothly as they hoped, partly because he suspects that they are less than entirely honest. Life in Europe is more difficult than they expected: after a stay in a reception center with substandard food, they move on to a Spartan farm. They have no health insurance, and obtaining a Serbian passport is no simple matter. The fact that they share their Orthodox Christian faith with the local inhabitants, with whom they have good relations, is of little help. Although their performances in the races they do participate in are not bad, they are also nothing to write home about. Sitting at the kitchen table, the athletes discuss their dreams and their homeland, to which they will ultimately be forced to return. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)
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