The world of cinema is often driven by spectacle and star power, Champions (Campeones, 2018), directed by Spanish filmmaker Javier Fesser, stands out for its heart and the courage to put authenticity first. Inspired by a real-life basketball team composed of individuals with intellectual disabilities, Champions is more than a movie—it’s a movement. A breakout box office hit in Spain and the country’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, Champions has since gone on to inspire not one, but two adaptations: a Hollywood version starring Woody Harrelson and an upcoming Bollywood film, Sitaare Zameen Par, led by Aamir Khan.
What makes Champions such a standout in Spanish cinema is not just its heartfelt message or comedic sensibility, but the fearless way it tackles uncomfortable truths—with warmth, candour, and humour. Rooted in Spain’s tradition of socially conscious filmmaking, Javier Fesser’s fifth feature film walks a fine line between entertainment and education.
At the narrative centre is Marcos Montes, played by celebrated Spanish actor Javier Gutiérrez, best known for his television roles. He plays a hot-headed professional basketball coach who, after a reckless driving charge, is ordered to complete community service—by coaching a team of athletes with intellectual disabilities. While Marcos’ personal arc from arrogance to empathy forms the emotional spine of the film, the true stars are the players themselves. Their sincerity, emotional intelligence, and humour become the film’s driving force.
Fesser made a pivotal creative decision in casting real individuals with mental disabilities in these roles. “I wouldn’t have done the movie if not like this,” he told the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. To convince producers and stakeholders, Fesser even shot a teaser on his own dime, capturing the charm and authenticity of his cast. The result? A team that is more emotionally grounded, funny, and unfiltered than the supposedly “normal” characters who surround them.
“In most casting processes, you find actors to fit the roles you’ve already written,” Fesser explained in an interview with TheWrap. “In this case, we did the opposite. After the casting, the original author and I rewrote the entire screenplay using the personalities of the people, their experiences, their real lives. I was forgetting my imagination, and taking everything from them.”
The casting process itself was deeply immersive, taking over four months as Fesser and his team met with various associations and sports organisations. These meetings weren’t just auditions—they were windows into real lives and personal journeys. The final result is a film that feels both spontaneous and sincere, where humour and emotion arise organically from interaction, not scripting.
While most directors might have rehearsed extensively with nonprofessional actors to ensure consistency, Fesser took a radically different route. “My job was not to teach them how to act, but to create a comfortable atmosphere where they felt safe to be themselves,” he said. The rehearsals, he explained, were more for him than for the cast—so he could learn how best to capture their essence on screen.
It worked. Box office numbers speak volumes—Campeones grossed over $21 million in Spain alone, outperforming big-budget rivals like Todos lo saben (starring Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem) and Handía. But more than financial success, Champions resonated because of its powerful message: that inclusion and empathy can be life-changing—for everyone involved.
See Also: Sitaare Zameen Par Trailer: Aamir Khan Mentors A Special Team In This Emotional Sports Drama
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