▁mic ropol itan ▁area ▁Category : T own ships ▁in ▁Illinois <0x0A> </s> ▁S ala am ▁D unk ▁is ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁American ▁document ary ▁film ▁directed ▁by ▁David ▁Fine ▁about ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁university ' s ▁women ▁basketball ▁program , ▁spe ar head ed ▁by ▁a ▁US - born ▁instruct or ▁as ▁coach . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁The ▁film ▁follows ▁the ▁women ' s ▁basketball ▁team ▁of ▁The ▁American ▁University ▁of ▁Ira q ▁– ▁S ula im ani ▁in ▁Ira qi ▁Kur dist an ▁for ▁a ▁full ▁academic ▁year . ▁The ▁players ▁discover ▁what ▁it ▁means ▁to ▁be ▁students , ▁athlet es ▁and ▁friends ▁in ▁the ▁difficult ▁political , ▁economic , ▁cultural ▁and ▁eth nic / sect arian ▁divide , ▁and ▁how ▁basketball ▁un ites ▁them ▁around ▁a ▁game . ▁The ▁film ▁follows ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁players , ▁not ably ▁L ay lan ▁( team ▁captain ), ▁En ji , ▁O la ▁and ▁Saf a , ▁and ▁their ▁basketball ▁coach ▁Ryan ▁B ub alo , ▁who ▁is ▁the ▁university ' s ▁contract ual ▁English ▁language ▁teacher . ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁a ▁test ament ▁to ▁the ▁per se ver ance ▁of ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁young ▁Ira qi ▁women , ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁triumph ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁cha os ▁and ▁advers ity . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁and ▁awards ▁The ▁film ▁gained ▁mostly ▁positive ▁reviews . ▁It ▁also ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁N ike ▁Jord ans ▁R ise ▁A bove ▁campaign , ▁which ▁featured ▁basketball