Dounia & the Princess of Aleppo

Six-year-old Dounia has had to deal with tragic strokes of fate early in life: she lost her mother, and later the Syrian regime arrested her father. And then bombs fell on her hometown, Aleppo. She is forced to flee with her grandparents and leave her home behind. With the help of a few magical nigella seeds and the legendary Princess of Aleppo, the little family struggles their way to Europe via Turkey. With magic, myths and music, André Kadi and Marya Zarif share the story of six-year-old Dounia’s boundless optimism in their hand-drawn animated film. The film’s poetic images stand in stark contrast to the brutal war in Syria. Told from the little girl’s point of view, they convey the story of many Syrians who have had to leave their country – and are still being compelled to do so.

“Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo” is the first feature film by André Kadi and Marya Zarif. It is based on the series “Dounia” (2020), on which Kadi and Zarif previously collaborated. French-born André Kadi is also a comic book writer and musician and lives in Canada, where Marya Zarif studied. The Syrian director, who grew up in Aleppo, portrays her own hometown in this film, providing an insight into the uniqueness of Syrian culture and its traditions.

“Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo” was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. The film has been screened at various international film festivals since its release in 2022. (Carmen Frei)