Six-year-old Dounia (sparkily voiced by Rachaf Ataya) is forced to leave her home in Aleppo, accompanied by her grandfather and grandmother and the kind of magic that has its roots in the fabulous stories her parents told her. Together they undertake a perilous journey in order to find the new home which, Dounia is sure, is waiting for them somewhere.
Suitable for children aged 5-12, Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo blends the magic of childhood with the tragedy of growing up in a war-torn country, using songs, myth and stunning hand-drawn animation to make difficult topics accessible. It is screened in Arabic with English subtitles.
Marya Zarif was born in Syria and grew up in Aleppo. In 2020, she created, wrote and co-directed the animated web series Dounia. Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (2022) is her first feature-length film. André Kadi arrived in Canada in 2007 as a graphic novel author and a musician. He joined Frima Studio, where he made the series MaXi and Super Agent Jon le Bon!, among others, before co-founding Du Coup Animation in 2018 and Du Coup Production in 2021. Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (2022) is his first feature-length film.