After winning a soccer ball in a sweepstakes, a young Syrian refugee must race to claim her prize and play one final game with her best friend before he's gone forever.
© Karim AlMuati
Director's Statement
How do we promise a better tomorrow to those who may never attain it?
I grew up in Syria during the war, where bombings, gunfire, and violence became an everyday backdrop. Absurd as it sounds, you learn to tune it all out; you acclimate to fear being a part of daily life. Yet, one thing your mind and body refuse to cope with is the loss of hope.
Living in a war zone or a refugee camp is a relentless reminder that dreams often go unfulfilled, whether that’s building a family, studying to become an astronaut, or in my case, becoming a filmmaker.
Through Bukra, I hope to offer a new perspective on the Syrian refugee experience, one that doesn’t rely on violent imagery but instead invites its audience to see through the eyes of a child.
It’s a story of resilience, of humanizing the crisis, and of revealing how war doesn’t just destroy homes, but futures.
- Alex Aljouni
Writer & Director
Producer
Executive Producers
Director of Photography
Production Designers
Costume Designer
Editor
Co-Editor
Composer
Sound Editor
Colorist
Cast
Alex Aljouni
Adrian Clark
Bill & Debbie Keland
Laith Nakli
Akina Van de Velde
Zheng Wu
Rye Mandel
Danielle Best
Victoria Santorsiero
Alex Aljouni
Noé Cervantes
Ian Howard
Rory Gordon
Lamitta Saloum
Laith Nakli
George Namy
Mohamed Ewis
Gamze Kececi