Champions is a heartwarming comedy-drama film that tells the story of a hot-headed and stubborn minor league basketball coach named Marco Montes. Marco's life comes crashing down when he gets sentenced to 120 hours of community service after a traffic accident in which he was drunk driving. As a community service punishment, Marco is instructed to coach a basketball team of intellectually disabled athletes preparing for the Special Olympics.
Initially, Marco is reluctant to coach the team and treats his new task as a mere inconvenience. He is frustrated with the Special Olympics team's lack of experience and their unconventional playing style. But as Marco trains and spends more time with the team, he begins to understand and appreciate the value and abilities of his players. In turn, the players also learn to trust and respect Marco.
Throughout the movie, we see the transformational journey of Marco and his players, who both learn important lessons about teamwork, acceptance, and unconditional love. The film deals with themes of disability, tolerance, and compassion, and it offers a powerful message about the transformative power of sports.
Champions is a Spanish film directed by Javier Fesser and starring Javier Gutiérrez as Marco Montes. It was released in 2018 and received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including Best Film at the Spanish Film Academy Awards. The movie is in Spanish, but it has been translated into several languages and is available with subtitles in many countries.