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Story perspectives

One in a Million: A Syrian Refugee's Journey

1/24/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Filmmakers Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes document Israa's life as a Syrian refugee in One in a Million.
They first met Israa in 2015 after she sold cigarettes in Izmir, Turkey, fleeing the Syrian Civil War.
The film follows her family's journey to Germany, highlighting struggles and cultural clashes.
As Israa adapts, her relationship with her father, Tarek, deteriorates while Nisreen, her mother, transforms.

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Story summary

Filmmakers Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes document Israa's life as a Syrian refugee in One in a Million.
They first met Israa in 2015 after she sold cigarettes in Izmir, Turkey, fleeing the Syrian Civil War.
The film follows her family's journey to Germany, highlighting struggles and cultural clashes.
As Israa adapts, her relationship with her father, Tarek, deteriorates while Nisreen, her mother, transforms.