Sand and water. Bedouins and fishermen. The origin story of a nation, told through football. For the 2011 Asian Cup in Qatar, we created a two-minute VFX epic that told the origin story of Doha itself. Two elemental teams – the Sandmen representing Qatar's Bedouin heritage and the Watermen representing its fishing traditions – emerge from the desert and sea to chase a football across the country, from the beaches to historic Lusail Village, through modern downtown Doha, and into Khalifa Stadium for a final showdown. Shot on location over four days and completed in just eight weeks, the spot pushed the boundaries of what was technically possible in fluid and particle simulation at the time.
