Pinball

Official Selection, 2026 True/False Film Fest

“Naturally my body doesn’t feel at home here. Naturally.”
At the age of four, Yosef Al Windawi and his family were one of the 213,000 Iraqis fleeing their country after 2004, arriving in Egypt and later receiving asylum in, of all places, suburban Louisville, Kentucky. In PINBALL, a now-teenaged Yosef navigates feeling isolated and anxious amidst college decisions, pro-soccer dreams, athletic training, civil protests, and tough conversations with his Dad and friends about the American dream. His body and heart know something is missing, and questions about his family’s relocation from Cairo to Louisville keep resurfacing. Should he feel grateful for his community in Louisville? Or should he question his current life in the United States? When an opportunity presents itself to visit his sister in Egypt, will Yosef step out of his comfort zone?

Director Naveen Chaubal lets Yosef blossom through his own questions and gentle address to the viewers, showing a multifaceted young immigrant man who navigates displacement, conflicted feelings of home and cultures, and complex familial dynamics. Emerging from this intimate and honest portrayal, PINBALL provides a safe space for Yosef to figure out his own story, while offering viewers a heartfelt invitation into a place of joyful uncertainty through Yosef’s journey and asking what it means to feel at home.

– Linh-Ngọc Bùi

Preceded By

My Father Was a Footballer

Directed by Matthew Yae Kim

Through a blend of archival footage and spoken interviews, a filmmaker investigates the intersection of football, ambition, and responsibility as it relates to his relationship with his father.