Q&A with Jack MacInnes and Israa, Moderated By Deborah Kaufman
Filmed over ten years, One In A Million follows Israa from childhood to adulthood on an extraordinary journey from Syria to Germany — and back again. We first meet her at age 11 as she and her family are preparing to cross the Aegean Sea, risking everything in search of safety and a better life in Europe. What unfolds is a deeply personal chronicle of war, exile and heartbreak, as Israa grows up navigating adolescence, identity and belonging far from the home she was forced to leave. As Israa settles into life in Germany, new freedoms collide with the stabilizing pull of Syrian traditions, testing bonds and reshaping her sense of self.
Co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, the film bears witness to the remarkable trust between filmmakers and family, following Israa and her loved ones across borders, cultures and shifting circumstances. An intimate and nuanced coming-of-age story, One In A Million illuminates the complexities of the refugee experience while asking a universal question: what does it truly mean to call a place home?