Out of View
A coming of age story.
Facing a long list of barriers, 16 year old Syrian refugee Sidra pushes her physical and situational limits to pursue a future she cannot see.
FILM NARRATIVE
Logline:
Facing a long list of barriers, 16 year old Syrian refugee Sidra pushes her physical and situational limits to pursue a future she cannot see.
Synopsis:
During the Spring of her senior year, Sidra, a Syrian refugee living in Erbil, will push her physical and mental limits while attempting to hike the tallest mountain fully within the Iraq border, Mount Halgurd. For a young, teenage Syrian refugee in Erbil, this is one of the most daring and disruptive endeavors she could embark on. One that will mirror her struggle to envision a future with a lack of resources and incredible barriers as she enters adulthood.
Characters:
Primary: Sidra
Secondary: Batoul, mentor and Free to Run program manager facilitating the Mount Halgurd expedition.
Location:
Erbil, Iraq
Mount Halgurd, Iraq
Timeline:
January 2024 Backstory filming
March 2024 Expedition filming
April 2024 Remaining character filming
May - July 2024 Post production
August 2024 Film complete ready for festival submissions
Director:
Carrie Highman
Sidra
Sidra was born in June 2007 in Syria-Aleepo. During the Syrian crisis, ISIS attacked her village and she had to flee her home with her family. They went to the Turkey border and entered Erbil in 2015.
Syrian refugees in Erbil face numerous challenges. Sidra experiences this firsthand with uncertain access to education. As Sidra nears her entry into adulthood, she’s taken on every opportunity to she can to create opportunity to dream. In 2015 Sidra connected with the ngo, Free to Run, an organization leveraging running to create young female leaders and change perceptions in society of what a woman’s role is. She quickly found her way into a leadership position and is inspiring other girls to push their limits and pursue growth.
While Sidra has developed her love of running, her sight is set on a new physical challenge that will break cultural norms, summiting Mount Halgurd. She will embark on an expedition led by Free to Run in March of 2024.
Batoul
Batoul is a Syrian woman who fled Alepo for Lebanon with her family when she was young. After experiencing the challenges of being a refugee in Lebanon, she married her now husband and moved to Erbil. Batoul says that even from a young age, she dreamed of doing something great, even if something great was defined as small acts of kindness within her community. She fought to take advantage of every opportunity that came her way, gaining access to education through scholarships and eventually found her way to Free to Run, an ngo working with girls in Erbil to provide access to sport and leadership development. She works as project & field coordinator which is how she met Sidra and became one of her mentors. With a similar background and a common desire to achieve great things regardless of the limitations, Batoul is a sounding board and guide for Sidra, cheering her along as she steps toward an uncertain future. She will also be a leader on the expedition on Mount Hallgord.
Filming Locations
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Erbil
Erbil is a semi-autonomous region of Iraq that sits on the North East border of the country. Both Sidra and Batoul live here and we will spend extensive time in their community filming daily life with their families and friends. This short film will work to provide a very intimate view of Sidra’s life experience, allowing viewers to step into her world and experience what life is like for her as a teenage refugee in Erbil.
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Mount Halgurd
Mount Halgurd is the tallest mountain completely within the borders of Iraq. It sits near the Iranian border. For girls like Sidra, going on an overnight expedition away from their families is extremely counter cultural. We will film Sidra on the Mount Halgurd expedition with Batoul, hosted by Free to Run.
Mount Hallgord
Height: 11, 834 ft - 3607 meters
Located: Northern Iraq
Expedition: March 2024
Mount Halgurd is the tallest peak completely within Iraq, standing at 11,834 feet.
In March, Sidra will join the Free to Run expedition to summit the mountain. As a 16 year old girl, an overnight expedition away from home is one of the most daring and disruptive endeavors Sidra could embark on. While the film will give an intimate look at her journey on th expedition, it will serve as a strong metaphor for the larger story of Sidra’s pursuit of an unknown future.
Carrie Highman - Director
Carrie Highman is a film director and producer with a heartbeat for partnering with women from underrepresented parts of the world to amplify their voices. Through the mountain film lens she tells stories about the human struggle for freedom, justice and the right to a vibrant future. Her previous work includes the film “Free to Run,” which tells the story of a UN human rights attorney and mountain runner working to preserve the future of her running NGO in Afghanistan. The film was awarded Best Outdoor Adventure Film at Boulder International Film Festival, The Spirit of Activism Award at Wild and Scenic Film Festival as well as a variety of other awards and festival selections. Carrie brings her journalism background to her work, approaching each story from a multi-faceted, research-driven angle. While she serves as director and producer on her projects, she is also in the field with a camera in hand on all of her projects, ensuring that her subjects feel comfortable and safe so she can capture authentic moments.
