Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo 2022

Dounia, a six-year-old girl living in Aleppo, faces the harsh realities of the Syrian Civil War, which dramatically affects her life and her family’s stability. After her mother’s passing and her father’s arrest, Dounia is raised by her paternal grandparents, Darwich and Téta Mouné, who do their best to support her amidst chaos and uncertainty. When their home is bombed, devastating their neighborhood and forcing them to flee, Dounia’s family makes the difficult decision to escape Aleppo in search of safety.

Their escape is a nerve-wracking journey filled with peril and hope. Alongside her grandparents and neighbors—including Georgette Darbouss, her daughter Lina, the spice seller Abdo, his wife Nisrine, and their baby son Shams—the family begins their exodus toward Turkey. During this escape, Dounia keeps keepsake possessions like a bird-shaped toy and a handful of baraka seeds, which will play a crucial role later in their journey. Accompanying them are her ancient, sentient family statues named Ayn and Chand, who secretly follow and help them through their adventure.

The group’s journey takes them across dangerous borders. Near the Syria-Turkey border, they encounter hardships, but Dounia’s resourcefulness shines when she uses one of her seeds to summon Ishtar, the goddess. Ishtar creates a temporary forest, providing cover for the refugees to slip past border patrols undetected. Continuing their voyage, the refugees head toward İzmir, where a smuggler prepares to take them across the Aegean Sea into Greece. When their raft encounters a fierce storm, Dounia’s quick thinking again comes into play when she uses a seed to summon Leila, an ancient princess of Aleppo. Leila’s presence calms the turbulent seas and ensures safe passage.

Arriving in Greece, the group pushes onward toward a refugee camp at the Macedonian border. Here, tensions run high, especially as the refugees face hunger and cold, and the border remains closed. Dounia’s spirit lifts the group when she uses one more seed to initiate a big dance number and magical display, temporarily distracting border officials and allowing them to cross into Europe. Their journey continues through Hungary, where circumstances force Dounia and her grandparents to be separated from their friends due to quota restrictions. They settle at a train station in Budapest, hoping for the chance to reunite with those they were traveling with.

While waiting in Budapest, Dounia writes a heartfelt letter to her future home, expressing her hopes for safety and reunion. Following advice from Ayn and Chand, she feeds her toy bird a seed, turning it into a real bird that takes their letter on a journey. The bird flies across countries and continents until it reaches a family in rural Canada, where a young girl named Rosalie eagerly awaits new friends. Rosalie’s family welcomes Dounia and her grandparents, helping them emigrate and settle into their new life in Canada.

A year after arriving, Dounia writes back to her father, now making his own journey to join them. She shares with him that they are adjusting well and expresses her hope to be reunited soon, symbolizing that despite all the hardships, hope, kindness, and resilience remain guiding lights in their voyage.

This heartfelt story highlights themes of resilience, hope, and the magical power of belief amidst one of the most tumultuous periods of recent history, woven through a blend of real-world struggles and enchanting fantasy elements that underscore Dounia’s enduring hope for reunion and safety.