SAMIA
Samia is an assertive, independent young woman growing up in a place that is not very welcoming to young women who are independent and assertive. Raised in a Mogadishu, Somalia torn asunder by civil war, all that young Samia wants to do is run. Despite the harassment from local militias saying women should not be involved in sports, running is a bright spot in her tumultuous life. Training in a deserted stadium, on a track pockmarked by mortars, Samia is determined to go to the Olympics like her hero, Mo Farah. That determination pays off when, at the age of 17, she is selected to represent her country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She returns to Africa with an even brighter flame burning to go to the 2012 Olympics in London. But circumstances have changed, and the path toward fulfilling her dreams is not the one she had anticipated. Director Yasemin Şamdereli brings the true story of sprinter Samia Yusuf Omar to the screen with a beautiful visual flair and a warm, empathetic approach. Boasting fantastic performances, SAMIA is an inspirational portrait of a young athlete who will not let circumstances stop her from reaching her dreams. Like millions of others escaping nations ravaged by war, she risks her life for the hope of a better future. (Note adapted from the Tribeca Film Festival.) Official Selection, 2024 Tribeca, São Paulo and Vancouver film festivals. DIR/SCR Yasemin Şamdereli; DIR Deka Mohamed Osman; SCR Nesrin Şamdereli, Giuseppe Catozzella; PROD Simone Catania, Christoph Fisser, Michele Fornasero, Dietmar Güntsche, David Herdies, Iman Ismail, Michael Krotkiewski, Francesca Portalupi, Anja-Karina Richter, Martin Rohé, Joseph Rouschop, Riccardo Russo. Italy/Germany/Belgium, 2024, color, 102 min. In Arabic, English and Somali with English subtitles. NOT RATED
Run Time: 102 Minutes
Opening Date: Sunday, March 23, 2025
Genre: Drama
