Fox, Sipur and Fulwell team on Iran-Israeli judo doc

Fox has teamed up with We Will Dance Again producer Sipur and Fulwell Entertainment on a doc that explores how Iranian Olympic medalist in judo defied government orders to compete against an Israeli counterpart.

Blood Brothers is from filmmaker Yariv Mozer (We Will Dance Again) and tells the story of Saeid Mollaei, who risks everything to compete against Israeli rival and fellow Olympic medalist and world champion, Sagi Muki.

As political pressure builds, the two competitors forge an unlikely friendship, with the doc exploring courage, honour, sportsmanship and the pursuit of Olympic glory.

Bad boy producer Sipur Studios is coproducing with Fox Entertainment Studios and Fulwell’s Bitachon365. The doc was developed by Mozer and executive producer Steve Stark (The Handmaid’s Tale), alongside commissioning Israeli broadcaster Reshet 13.

Sipur Studios chief exec, Emilio Schenker, said: “Blood Brothers originated from an extraordinary friendship between two courageous athletes who dared to break through walls of fear, ideology and hatred in a reality where regimes and borders try to dictate who is an enemy and who is a friend.

“Especially now, as tensions between Israel, the US and Iran reach a peak, the friendship between Saeid and Sagi reminds us of the power of an individual to stand bravely against a regime, even at the risk of his life, and his power to create light and hope amid chaos.”

Mollaei added: “My birthplace, my personal story, the history of my country and the education I received all seemed to dictate a different destiny. I was expected to follow a certain path.

“Yet I chose to step out of line, because above all I am an athlete, a free man guided by deep human values, a man who could not accept a road imposed upon him. In judo we say that friendship is the purest of human feelings. Beyond sporting rivalry, Sagi and I are building something that many once believed impossible and that is more important than ever now amid what is currently happening.”

Israel’s Muki said: “We have formed a bond of true brotherhood — we value each other first as human beings, and only then as world champions. Today, as we lecture together on global stages, I am proud that Blood Brothers will share our message of unity and acceptance.

Blood Brothers is the latest collaboration between Sipur, Mozer and Stark, who have also worked on The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes. The studio recently entered a first-look deal with Mozer for documentaries and his first scripted project.