Safiyya Ingar: All children, regardless of skin color and religion, should be protected

The film BRIDES  by Nadia Fall was screened tonight at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema, as part of the Open Air Programme of the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival. Before the screening, the audience at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema was greeted by actress Safiyya Ingar. 

 

“Thank you Sarajevo Film Festival for being here, this is incredible. Thank you for coming to see the film, this is the largest audience it has ever been shown to. From starving children exposed to violence in Gaza, to transgender children who's rights have been taken away, time and time again, our children suffer at the hands of hateful adults. We need to fix ourselves, everyone! BRIDES is a warning sign. This is what happens when we stop paying attention to children, when we ignore their cries for help, when our well of empathy dries up. Please watch this film. Please understand Doe and Muna. And please remember that all children, really all children, regardless of the color of their skin, regardless of the religion they practice, need to be protected, loved, listened to and wanted,” said actress Safiyya Ingar. 

 

BRIDES is the debut film by playwright and theater director Nadia Fall. The film follows best friends, teenage girls Doe and Muna, as they embark on the journey of a lifetime. The quiet, cautious Doe has not traveled anywhere since she arrived in the UK as a refugee from Somalia at the age of three. The confident Muna, originally from Pakistan, is the dominant friend and guides Doe through security checks at the airport. The girls are slightly nervous and excited about the adventure ahead. They travel to Istanbul, but not for vacation, but to meet a stranger who will take them to the border of Syria to start a new life in that country. 

 

The film BRIDES premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival.