Info:

Original title: Dounia et la princesse d'Alep
Directors: Marya Zarif, Andrë Kadi
Writer: Marya Zarif
Cast: Rahaf Ataya, Elza Mardirossian, Manuel Tardos
Countries of origin: Syria, Canada, France
Language: French / Arabic
Subtitles: English
Runtime: 1 hour 12 minutes

About the film:

Dounia is a little girl who lives with her family in Syria. After the premature death of her mother and the imprisonment of her father by the regime, she is left with her grandparents as her caretakers. As the situation worsens, Dounia’s family and their little community consisting of neighbours from many different backgrounds are forced to make the difficult decision of fleeing their war-torn homes. Accompanied by the Princess of Aleppo who looks after them, they embark on a perilous journey across the world. This hopeful film deals with difficult issues in a way which is made accessible for children through magic and the rich mythology of the region. Despite being aimed at family audiences, the fantastic elements could appeal to adult animation enthusiasts as well.The animation style and the beautiful oud and flute score add to Dounia and the Princes of Aleppo’s gentle charm and convey a celebratory approach to life, even in the face of challenges.

Marya Zarif (Syria)

Marya Zarif is a Syrian filmmaker who studied communication and playwriting in Institut national de l’image et du son du Québec. Her previous projects include "Maison de la Syrie" and "I want to play", an organisation which works with refugee children.

André Kadi (France)

Andre Kadi is a French graphic novel artist residing in Canada. he has previously worked on MaXi (2017) and L’Agent Jean! (2018). Kadi is the co-founder of Du Coup Animation and Du Coup Production. Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo is Kadi and Zarif’s debut feature film.