Rock'n'Ball

10-year-old Dima has no parents, and his dreams aren't as simple as wanting a pet or a bike. All he wants in life is to play soccer. To turn this dream into reality, he needs an adult who can pretend to be his father and sign him up for soccer school.
Finally, he crosses paths with an unlikely "father" candidate – a man without proper documents who struggles to communicate. This man's only interests revolve around cigarettes and parties while he searches for his missing grandfather.
Being a father for a day is not the challenge; the real hurdle lies in finding mutual understanding as the so-called father happens to be Polish and doesn't speak a word of Ukrainian!
And so begins the extraordinary story of a "little adult" and a "big child," two individuals who couldn't be more different. Yet, they embark on this emotional journey together, one who still believes in miracles and one who lost faith in happiness long ago.
The film portrays how, despite language barriers, incompatible values, and different citizenships, the inner goodness in each one of us can lead to a heartfelt decision – to become a parent to a lonely child, even if just for one day, in the hopes of bringing lasting joy to his life.

  • Dmytro Prykhod'ko
    Director
  • Dmytro Prykhod'ko
    Writer
  • Maksym Onopriienko
    Producer
  • Enia O'Connor
    Producer
  • Tomasz Sobchak
    Key Cast
  • Polina Dzhakaeva
    Key Cast
  • Oleksiy Min'ko
    Key Cast
  • Bogdan Brodski
    Key Cast
  • Anton Slepakov
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Comedy DRAMA, Family, Sport
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 17, 2011
  • Country of Origin:
    Ukraine
  • Country of Filming:
    Ukraine
  • Language:
    English, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • MARCHE DU FILM Festival de Cannes
    Cannes
    France
    May 17, 2011
    World Premiere
    Marche du Film
  • MOLODIST Kyiv International Film Festival
    Kyiv
    Ukraine
    October 27, 2011
    Ukrainian Premiere
    Special prize for Oleksiy Min'ko as a primary actor
  • Film Festival Cottbus
    Cottbus
    Germany
    November 3, 2011
    Focus: Eastern Europe by Regions
    Best Debut nomination
  • The Accolade Film, Television, New Media and Videography awards

    United States
    January 31, 2012
    Feature Film
    Award of Excellence (for a significant contribution to social change or a humanitarian effort)
  • European Youth Film Festival Flanders
    Antwerp, Bruges
    Belgium
    February 21, 2012
    European Competiton
    Best Debut nomination
  • Cleveland International Film Festival
    Cleveland
    United States
    March 28, 2012
    Central and Eastern European Film Competition
    Best Feature Film nomination
  • 11 mm Footballfilmfestival
    Berlin
    Germany
    October 3, 2012
    Golden 11 (mid length and full feature films)
    Best Full Feature Film nomination
  • Festival of Nations
    Lenzing
    Austria
    October 6, 2012
    Long feature film
    Best Debut nomination - Bronze
  • CineFest Miskolc International Film Festival
    Miskolc
    Hungary
    September 16, 2012
    Long feature film
    Best Film nomination
  • SportFilmFestival
    Sicily
    Italy
    November 22, 2012
    Long Feature Film
    Best Debut nomination
  • Jecheon International Music & Film Festival
    Jecheon
    Korea, Republic of
    August 13, 2012
    World Music Film Today
    Best Debut nomination
  • Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival
    Rehoboth Beach
    United States
    November 9, 2012
    Best Independent Film nomination
  • Cinefoot International Football Film Festival
    Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo
    Brazil
    May 26, 2012
    International Competition for Feature Films
    Best Feature Film nomination
  • Football Film Festival 2012
    Gdansk
    Poland
    June 1, 2012
    Full length feature movies competition
    Best Full Feature Film nomination
Distribution Information
  • Sofiia Onopriienko, sofiko@onopris.com
    Sales Agent
    Country: France
    Rights: All Rights
Director - Dmytro Prykhod'ko