Cricket Dreams is a 1-hour, 17-minute and 32-second documentary directed by Jamillah van der Hulst and produced in the Netherlands. Shot in India, it recounts a unique experience of sport, empowerment and rights through the eyes of nine young former street children from Delhi.
At the heart of the documentary is cricket, a sport widely practised in India and used here as a tool for social inclusion and personal growth. The protagonists are selected to represent India at the Street Child Cricket World Cup, held in Chennai, where nineteen teams from fourteen countries competed in a competitive yet consistently respectful spirit.
The young people take part not only in the sporting tournament, but also in an arts programme and a conference on children's rights. These parallel activities allow them to express themselves, tell their stories and raise public awareness of the condition of street children around the world.
The documentary follows their personal and collective growth: the excitement of travel, discovery of new cultural realities, bonds formed with peers from other countries and, above all, the chance finally to feel seen. Its powerful message is one of empowerment, the importance of offering concrete opportunities to marginalised young people, and the power of sport as an educational and transformative tool.
Cricket Dreams is not a student project and is not the director's debut. It was produced by Conrad Alleblas and Jamillah van der Hulst herself. The film was completed on 1 January 2025.
Film Information
Title: Cricket Dreams
Original title: Cricket Dreams
Direction: Jamillah van der Hulst
Production: Conrad Alleblas, Jamillah van der Hulst
Country: Netherlands
Language: English, Hindi
Running time: 1 hour, 17 minutes and 32 seconds
Genre: Documentary
Sport featured: Cricket
Main subject(s): Nine former street children from Delhi
Completion date: 1 January 2025
Premiere: [Not specified]
Distributor: [Not specified]
Shooting format: Digital, 16:9, colour
Director's first film: No
Student project: No