ABOUT THE FILM
Filmed over ten years, ONE IN A MILLION follows Israa from childhood to adulthood on an extraordinary journey from Syria to Germany — and back again. We first meet her at age 11 as she and her family are preparing to cross the Aegean Sea, risking everything in search of safety and a better life in Europe. What unfolds is a deeply personal chronicle of war, exile and heartbreak, as Israa grows up navigating adolescence, identity and belonging far from the home she was forced to leave. As Israa settles into life in Germany, new freedoms collide with the stabilizing pull of Syrian traditions, testing bonds and reshaping her sense of self.
Co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, the film bears witness to the remarkable trust between filmmakers and family, following Israa and her loved ones across borders, cultures and shifting circumstances. An intimate and nuanced coming-of-age story, ONE IN A MILLION illuminates the complexities of the refugee experience while asking a universal question: what does it truly mean to call a place home?
FILMMAKERS
Itab Azzam
DIRECTOR
Itab Azzam is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and humanitarian. She works with Syrian refugee women in Lebanon and London on empowerment, education, and through therapeutic arts projects including, Film for Freedom, an initiative that trains refugee women in filmmaking. Born in Syria, she currently resides in London.
Jack MacInnes
DIRECTOR
Born and raised in London, filmmaker Jack MacInness moved to Damascus where he met and ultimately married co-director Itab. His work has appeared on Netflix, BBC and PBS and received the Emmy, BAFTA, Peabody, Grierson, and Prix Italia Awards.
WILL ANDERSON
PRODUCER
Will Anderson has been making films with Keo Films all over the world for more than 25 years. He has won multiple awards including 5 BAFTAs and an Emmy, as a Series Director, Series Producer and now an Executive Producer. He is also the Creative Director of Keo, and champions bold ideas and nurtures distinctive voices across all of Keo’s output.
JAMES BLUEMEL
PRODUCER
James Bluemel is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. He specializes in making observational and character driven films, giving the characters space and agency to tell their own stories, in their own words. His films have explored homelessness, mental illness, drug abuse, poverty, migration and war, and have been recognized with duPont Columbia and Peabody Awards, as well as “Best Documentary” prizes at BAFTA and the International Emmys.
ANDREW PALMER
PRODUCER
Andrew began his career as a documentary cameraman/director. In 2000 he set up Keo Films and subsequently worked as a director, producer, and executive producer on hundreds of hours of programming for broadcasters on both sides of the Atlantic. Keo’s output has had huge critical success winning BAFTAs, EMMYs, and an Oscar nomination, but it's known for its important storytelling with real-world impact.
RANEY ARONSON-RATH
PRODUCER
Raney Aronson-Rath is an Oscar®-winning producer and the editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE, PBS’ flagship investigative journalism documentary series produced at GBH in Boston. Under her leadership, FRONTLINE has won every major award in broadcast journalism — including an Academy Award®, News & Documentary Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards. Recipient of the John Chancellor Excellence in Journalism Award, Aronson-Rath is thought leader in documentary filmmaking and investigative journalism.
FILM CREDITS
Produced, Filmed & Directed by
ITAB AZZAM
JACK MACINNES
Producers
WILL ANDERSON
JAMES BLUEMEL
ANDREW PALMER
RANEY ARONSON-RATH
Editors
IAIN PETTIFER-MOTH
ALEC ROSSITER
Executive Producers
LUCIE KON for BBC
JUTTA KRUG for WDR
JOSEPH SCHULL
HARRIET GUGENHEIM
DAVID FIALKOW
NINA FIALKOW
ADAM & MELONY LEWIS
DWIGHT & KIRSTEN POLER
PATTY QUILLIN
JENNY RASKIN
Co-Executive Producers
MARNI E. J. GROSSMAN
RYAN FORTWENDEL
Contributing Producers
ELIZABETH KING
JAYNE LIPMAN & BOB GOODMAN
MONIKA PAREKH
Consulting Editor
MICHELLE MIZNER, ACE
Composer
SIMON RUSSELL