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Mediha, a teenage Yazidi girl recently returned from Islamic State (ISIS) captivity, turns the camera on herself, capturing an astonishing journey as she confronts her past in order to fight for her future.

Synopsis

In 2014, ISIS committed atrocity crimes against the Yazidis, a small religious and ethnic minority in Northern Iraq. Those who survived are still unable to return home. Mediha and her brothers, Ghazwan and Adnan, must now rebuild their lives with the whereabouts of their parents and brother unknown. Mediha takes us on her quest for justice by initiating investigations to uncover the truth about the people who caused her family harm and sharing her story with the world.

Media Gallery

2 boys and a girl gather round a piece of paper, reading it
back of a man looking at a wall covered in frames photos of people
girl being interviewed by a camera crew

“It’s empowering to see Mediha as both a character and creator. As a viewer, you really empathise with her and understand why it’s so important to bring home the thousands of Yazidis who are still missing, compensate survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable.”
- Sarah Sanbar, researcher, Middle East and North Africa Division, Human Rights Watch

Read more about HRW's work in Iraq
June 7, 2021
Detention of Refugee Shows Need for Policy Change
February 8, 2021
Mass Grave Discovery Highlights Iraq’s Impunity Gap for Grave Crimes

Credits

Hasan Oswald

Director
A man with a shaved head and beard, wearing glasses, smiles at the camera

Hasan (he/him) is coming off his feature directorial debut with the documentary Higher Love, about a blue-collar worker who tries to rescue his pregnant, heroin-addicted girlfriend from the notorious streets of Camden, NJ. The film won nine international festival awards in 2020, including the Slamdance Grand Jury award. He directed the short Refugees Welcome, about the refugee crisis in Lesbos, Greece, and previously worked in the Middle East on National Geographic’s Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS.

Annelise Mecca

Producer
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Annelise (she/her) is a documentary photographer and photojournalist — with a MSc in International Development — focusing on issues of migration and post-war refugee situations. She partners with organizations in refugee camps worldwide on communications campaigns. She has also worked for CNN, History Channel, Discovery, and the E.W. Scripps Foundation.

Fahrinisa Campana

Producer
Headshot of a woman with brown hair smiling at camera

Fahrinisa (she/her) is a multimedia reporter from New York City, a graduate of the Columbia Journalism School and a Columbia Global Migration fellow who regularly reports from the US, Europe, Turkey, India, Jordan and Iraq. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, The Guardian, NPR, PRX The World, Al Jazeera English, Vox, Slate, AJ+, BBC and CNN.

Stephen Nemeth

Producer
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Stephen (he/him) has produced dozens of films, including The Sessions and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and is on the board of numerous non-profit organizations including Friends of the Earth.

Alexander Spiess

Producer
Headshot of man wearing a shirt and a hat looking at the camera

Alexander (he/him) is a filmmaker and journalist who has worked for National Geographic, CNN, Channel 4, Peacock, A+E, Showtime, Lionsgate, History Channel, Scripps News and Goldcrest Films. He is a Columbia DuPont Award recipient for Excellence in Investigative Reporting, and most recently, with Hasan Oswald, produced Higher Love, which won the Grand Jury Award at Slamdance Film Festival 2020.

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