The Neighborhood Storyteller

For the girls at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, marriage may become a reality by the age of 14 or 15. But for 28-year-old Asmaa, mother of four, that doesn’t mean that girls and women have to stop dreaming or leave behind the pleasure of reading. When Asmaa, who married at 16 before being forced to flee a war-torn Syria with her young family, starts a reading group for her neighborhood’s teenage girls, many of whom are reserved. Through reading aloud, drawing and group activities, the girls open up about life at camp, the trauma of war and their dreams for the future. In this touching film by Alejandra Alcala, the girls’ confidence grows and imagination blossoms as they reflect on their pasts and dream of a hopeful future.

World Premiere