Teenage best friends Doe and Muna are going on the trip of a lifetime. Quiet, watchful Doe hasn’t travelled since arriving in the UK as a refugee from Somalia at the age of three. Badass Muna of Pakistani heritage is the dominant force, leading Doe through airport security. The girls are giddy; excited about their adventure, but as the flight is announced, their mood changes. They are not going on holiday, but to Istanbul, to be met by a stranger who will take them to the border to start a new life in Syria. Disaster strikes when their fixer doesn’t show up, but there’s no turning back now. Doe and Muna hastily forge a new plan to continue their journey alone, testing their resolve, their faith and their friendship. As we find out more about the experiences that have led them to this point, the girls get closer to the reality of what lies ahead.
Presented at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals.

Brides
2025
14 years
93 min.
Fiction
United Kingdom, Italy
United Kingdom, international film festivals, adolescence, maturing, female directors, immigration
Colorido
Nadia Fall
Suhayla El-Bushra
Clarissa Cappellani
Fiona DeSouza
Ebada Hassan, Safiyya Ingar, Leo Bill, Arthur Darvill, Sinead Matthews, Yusra Warsama, Ali Khan, Cemre Ebuzziya, Aziz Capkurt
Nicky Bentham, Marica Stocchi
Neon Films, Rosamont
Alex Baranowski
Bankside Films
49