Shamima Begum (UK) and Hoda Muthana (US) made it into worldwide headlines when they left their countries as teenagers to join ISIS. Now they want to return to their countries. Filmed in the high-security Camp Roj in Syria, which houses ISIS women and children that no Western country wants back, and Kurds have no choice but to look after.
Alba Sotorra in Association with MetFilm present
Feature documentary
Title: The Return, life after ISIS
Runtime: 90 & 52 min
Genre: Documentary
Director: Alba Sotorra
Producers: Alba Sotorra, Vesna Cudic, Carles Torras
Executive producers: Alba Sotorra, Vesna Cudic, Sam Collyns, Poppy Dixon (Sky), Jack Oliver (Sky), Jordi Ambrós (TVC)
Screenwriters: Júlia Parés, Alba Sotorra
DOP: Lara Vilanova, Gris Jordana, Núria Roldós
Direct Sound: Cony Docolomansky, Denis Darwish, Nadja Darwish, Àlex Albors, Anna Rajadell
Editors: Michael Nollet, Xavier Carrasco
Sound design: Jordi Ribas
Music composers: Mehmud Berazi, Josefina Rozenwasser
Best Documentary [Nominee]
– Premios Goya
Best Documentary
– Premis Gaudí
Best Documentary
– SomCinema Lleida
Best Documentary [Preselected]
– Premis Gaudí
Laya Award from the Office of Civil and Political Rights
Young Audience Award
— Docs Barcelona 2021
“Special Mention” – Best Documentary Competion
— Warsaw International Film Festival
News & Current Affairs [Nominee]
– Rose d’Or Awards
Best documentary [Nominee]
– Edinburgh TV Awards
Best documentary programe [Nominee]
– RTS Awards
Best use of archive footage [Nominee]
– Focal Awards
SXSW 2021 [World Premiere]
Hot Docs 2021
Cleveland International Film Festival 2021
Seattle International Film Festival 2021
Docs Barcelona 2021
Human Rights Watch Film Festival New York 2021
Sheffield Doc Fest 2021
Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival 2021
DOXA Film Festival 2021
Dokufest 2021
Jerusalem Film Festival 2021
Nashville Film Festival 2021
Kurdish Film Festival New York 2021
Human Rights Film Festival Berlin 2021
Zurich Film Festival 2021
Heartland Film Festival 2021
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival 2021
Warsaw International Film Festival 2021
Tallgrass Film Festival 2021
Bergen International Film Festival 2021
UNAFF International Documentary Film Festival 2021
Milwaukee Muslim Film Festival 2021
Denver Film Festival 2021
Hawaii International Film Festival 2021
Festival Protesta 2021
SomCinema Lleida International Film Festival 2021
Festival Cine por Mujeres 2021
Rocky Mountains Women’s Film Festival 2021
International Crime and Punishment Film Festival 2021
Festival REC Tarragona 2021
Festival Cinéma Méditerranéen de Bruxelles 2021
“An extraordinary humanitarian achievement.”
— Cine Addiction
“Stirring, sobering, and vitally humane.”
— Variety
“Remarkable access.”
“Incredible achievement.”
— Screen Daily
“A sharp sense of structure and the largest of hearts.”
“Timely, immersive, and deeply poignant.”
— Film Threat
“I was astounded by The Return. I was astonished by its access, astonished by its empathy and astonished by its existence… simply a superb piece of filmmaking”
— Film Inquiry
