Photographed by Ziga Mihelcic for Vogue Arabia, October 2017
The Guest: Aleppo-Istanbul won the best national feature film award at the 5th International Bosphorus Film Festival in Istanbul on Monday. The Andac Haznedaroglu-directed movie also took home the award for best editing award in the national awards category. Jordanian actor Saba Mubarak, who stars in and co-produced the movie, took to her Instagram account to share the exciting news with her 1.2 million followers.
In an interview with Vogue Arabia in October, Mubarak said, “I chose this film because I deeply care about the refugee crisis, particularly the children.” She added, “Art can leave a lasting, positive mark in the ongoing issue. A lot of movies have already shed light on the refugee crisis and took part in finding a solution. This movie was able to ease my feelings of helplessness.”
Photographed by Ziga Mihelcic for Vogue Arabia, October 2017
The film tells the story of an eight-year-old Syrian girl named Lena who lost her family during the war. Lena, her younger sister, and her neighbor Meryem seek safety in Turkey, along with other refugees desperate to flee the conflict.
Except for Mubarak, all the actors in the movie are real Syrian refugees, acting for the first time.
