EditSamia: Little Dreamer (2024)

Den rørende og sande historie om løberen Samia Yusuf Omar, der blev et symbol på kampen for frihed og kvinders rettigheder over hele verden. I Somalias fattige hovedstad, Mogadishu, drømmer den selvstændige pige Samia sammen med sin bedste ven, Ali, om en dag at blive berømt for sit talent. Samia er løber – og en hurtig en af slagsen. I et land, hvor borgerkrigen raser, og hvor det er forbudt for kvinder at dyrke idræt, synes det dog at være en umulig drøm. Men med hjælp fra sin støttende familie fortsætter Samia med at træne i skjul, både dag og nat, for at nå sit store mål: at deltage i OL i Beijing i 2008. Risikoen er høj, og omkostningerne store for både hende og familien. Filmen er baseret på Giuseppe Catozzellas internationale bestseller og instrueret af Yasemin Samdereli, der tidligere har stået bag ALMANYA - VELKOMMEN TIL TYSKLAND. Vinder af Special Jury Mention for an International Narrative Feature ved Tribeca Film Festival: “Special commendation for the film Samia for exploring the vital issue of refugees with humanity and integrity. Thanks to the beautiful performances by everyone involved” - Tribeca Festival Jury

Samia is an assertive, independent young woman growing up in a place that isn’t very welcome to young women who are independent and assertive. Raised in a Mogadishu, Somalia torn asunder by civil war, all that young Samia wants to do is run. Despite the harassment from local militias saying women shouldn’t be involved in sports, running is a bright spot in her tumultuous life. Training in a deserted stadium, on a track pockmarked by mortars, she is determined to go to the Olympics like her hero, Mo Farah. That determination pays off when, at the age of 17, she’s selected to represent her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She returns to Africa with an even brighter flame burning to go to the 2012 Olympics in London. But circumstances have changed, and the path toward fulfilling her dreams is not the one she’d anticipated. Based on the true story of Samia Yusuf Omar, director Yasemin Samdereli brings Samia’s life to the screen with a beautiful visual flair and a warm, empathetic approach. Boasting fantastic performances, Samia is an inspirational portrait of a young athlete who won’t let circumstances stop her from reaching her dreams. And like millions of others escaping nations ravaged by war, she risks her life for the hope of a better future.