for all screenings
Film Languages
Arabic, German, English
Co-Directors
Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes
Producers
Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes, Will Anderson, James Bluemel, Andrew Palmer, Raney Aronson-Rath
Editors
Iain Pettifer-Moth, Alec Rossiter
Co-Editors
Iain Pettifer-Moth, Alec Rossiter
Cinematographers
Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes
Composer
Simon Russell
Contact
Sara Giustini, theatrical@pbs.org
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 prepare 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 she settles into life in Germany, new freedoms collide with the stabilizing pull of Syrian traditions, testing family 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?
Itab Azzam is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and humanitarian. She works with Syrian refugee women in Lebanon and London on empowerment and education 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, born and raised in London, moved to Damascus, where he met and ultimately married co-director Itab. His work has appeared on Netflix, BBC, and PBS and has received Emmy, BAFTA, Peabody, Grierson, and Prix Italia Awards.