Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, October 2026, pp. 74-75
Music & Arts
IN THE OPENING scene of the 2026 documentary “One in A Million,” Israa treads through the rubble of Aleppo’s Salah al-Din neighborhood. It has been about 10 years since she left her home there. The scene introduces a feeling of suspense that permeates the whole film. Why is Israa in Aleppo? Why did she leave Germany? Is she alright? The film does not answer these questions until the very end.
On June 14, the film’s Washington, DC premiere took place at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company as part of the DC/DOX Film Festival. The film, co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, follows Israa and her family as they travel from Izmir, Türkiye to live in Cologne, Germany as refugees from Syria.
“One in A Million” is a panoramic chronicle of Israa’s family’s separation from Syria and her own coming of age. There are periods of several months to over a year between filming. From ages 11 to 21, she goes to school in Germany, learns German and makes friends. But, she also navigates her parents’ adjustment to Germany.
Her mother Nisreen and her father Tarek struggle raising Israa and her siblings away from Aleppo. In interviews throughout the film, Nisreen and Tarek share the challenges of raising Israa in a country with cultural and social standards different from those of their home. But, most importantly, they express their love and concern for Israa, who recounts the same feelings for them in interviews with Azzam and MacInnes.
After the screening, executive director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy Mai El-Sadany moderated a conversation with Michelle Mizner and Jenny Raskin. Mizner acted as co-producer and consulting editor, post-production for “One in A Million.” Raskin is executive director of Impact Partners, a funder of “One in A Million.”
“The layers of this film make it a truly human story,” Mizner shared. For example, in one scene from 2015, Israa bursts out of her home in Izmir to urge Azzam and MacInnes, who are outside, to follow her inside where Tarek and Nisreen are arguing.
The argument is about certain logistics of how the family will make their upcoming journey from Izmir to Europe, Mizner explained. The moment is fraught with distress. Israa is in tears and desperately wants Azzam and MacInnes to witness her parents’ struggle.
At first, this scene was not included in the film. However, according to Mizner, the production team added it back to better explain the narrative. The scene demonstrates Israa’s trust for MacInnes and Azzam, and her closeness to them. Ultimately, Azzam and MacInnes’ roles are central in the film.
Because Israa was a child when they began filming, Azzam and MacInnes became like aunt and uncle to her. However, as Israa grew, her relationship with them developed into a friendship.
“The film has so much empathy for everyone in it,” said Raskin.
Azzam and Israa did not attend the DC premiere because they were in Sheffield, UK at another screening of “One in A Million.” However, they regularly attend screenings of the film and answer audience questions in post-screening panels.
At the time of the DC premiere, the film had not yet been widely screened in Europe. In fact, it had not yet been shown in Germany, the country in which the majority of the film takes place, according to Raskin. However, the team plans to screen it widely in Europe.
El-Sadany emphasized that this would be important. “One in A Million” should be screened in “as many European spaces as possible,” she recommended.
Since the fall of the Assad regime, countries that admitted Syrian refugees after 2011 have discussed the possibility of requiring refugees to return to Syria. Screening “One in A Million” in Europe will be key to educating European audiences and shaping public opinion about the importance of ensuring that refugees can remain in their countries of resettlement.
—Ivana Gabriele-Smith
