Mediha is a 2023 American documentary film, written and directed by Hasan Oswald about Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad, who was kidnapped in the Sinjar massacre and sold into sexual slavery. Much of the footage in the documentary was filmed by Alhamad.[1] It won the Grand Jury Prize at Doc NYC in New York City.[2]

Mediha
Directed byHasan Oswald
Written byHasan Oswald
Produced by
  • Fahrinisa Campana
  • Annelise Mecca
  • Stephen Nemeth
  • Hasan Oswald
  • Alexander Spiess
Cinematography
  • Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad
  • Hasan Oswald
Edited byKait Plum
Music byHenry Ross Bloomfield
Release date
  • December 11, 2023 (2023-12-11) (Doc NYC)
[1]
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageKurdish

Plot

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In the summer of 2014, when she was 10 years old, Alhamad and her Yazidi family were kidnapped from their village during the Sinjar massacre in northern Iraq, by Islamic State (IS). She was sold into sexual slavery among IS fighters. After she was released and living in a camp for internally displaced people in Iraqi Kurdistan, c. 2019 she met American documentary filmmaker Oswald. Oswald gave her a film camera and with it she told her family's story, as well as documented the challenges she faced after captivity. Oswald turned her footage into the documentary Mediha.[3]

Release

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Mediha had its world premiere on November 12, 2023 at Doc NYC in New York City.[1]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Carey, Matthew (2023-11-07). "Oscar Winner Emma Thompson Joins 'Mediha' Team, Documentary On Yazidi Girl Who Survived ISIS Captivity". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  2. ^ a b Gyarkye, Lovia (2023-12-20). "'Mediha' Review: A Young Yazidi Woman's Harrowing Quest to Reclaim Her Past". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  3. ^ Dehghan, Saeed Kamali (2024-03-12). "'Nobody would listen to me, so I told the camera': film of Islamic State survivor's story premieres in UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
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