One Ride Away
Runtime: 18 mins
Country: Yemen and Sweden
Production Company: Semasser productions
Synopsis
One Ride Away is a coming-of-age story set in Yemen, following three teenage aspiring football players who skip class in a quest to watch Yemen’s Under-17 football team play a decisive match. As they embark on this passionate pursuit, they find themselves navigating a world full of unexpected misfortunes—from being chased by armed men to clashes with older boys and narrowly escaping a predator. Despite it all, their unwavering desire to witness the game pushes them forward. Inspired by true events, One Ride Away captures the thrill, recklessness, and relentlessness of youth—an age when each day feels like an adventure (or a misadventure) filled with triumphs and heartbreaks that shape the adults they will become.
Director
Yousef Assabahi
Yousef Assabahi is a Yemeni writer and director based in Los Angeles. He has made several short films and commercials that explore cultural identity and collective memory of Yemenis at home and abroad. Currently, Yousef serves as the head of Oral History department for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, while developing his first feature film.
Producer
Abduljabbar Alsuhili a.alsuhili@yourecho.org
Abduljabbar Alsuhili is a Yemeni actor, theater artist, and cultural practitioner with a background in drama production and media content creation. Born in Sana’a, Yemen, Abduljabbar has worked extensively in the Yemeni entertainment industry, focusing on drama production, visual content, and theater. He was actively involved in creating and producing theatrical performances and visual media in Yemen, where he collaborated on several projects aimed at raising social and political awareness.
In 2011, he co-founded “Rawaabit,” an organization that produced digital content, encouraging youth to engage with current social and political issues. In 2017, after relocating to Sweden, Abduljabbar continued his work in the arts, theater, and media, participating in international productions such as the Swedish film (Boy from Heaven) and the European theater production (Romeo and Juliet).