9 DAYS IN RAQQA

Xavier de Lauzanne

france 2020 90 min

Leila Mustapha, a Kurdish-Syrian civil engineer, became the mayor of Raqqa at the age of 30, taking on the extraordinary task of rebuilding a city devastated by war. Once the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State, Raqqa has been left largely in ruins, and Leila must help restore its infrastructure while working toward reconciliation and democratic government in a deeply complex and dangerous environment. A French writer, Marine de Tilly, crosses Iraq and Syria to meet her and spends nine days in Raqqa, discovering Leila’s story and witnessing the city’s difficult journey toward reconstruction and a return to civilian life.

• About the film

  Original title 9 jours à Raqqa

  Directed by Xavier de Lauzanne

  Screenplay Xavier de Lauzanne

  Featuring Leïla Mustapha Marine de Tilly

  Music Ibrahim Maalouf

  Cinematography Xavier de Lauzanne

  Editing Jean-Maxime Besset

  Production Companies Aloest Films Echo Studio Ibé Films

• Festivals & Awards

  Festival de Cannes
  2020 | Official Selection — Documentary Films

  Rome Film Festival
  2020 | Official Selection

  It’s All True — International Documentary Film Festival
  2021 | Official Selection

  DocLands Documentary Film Festival
  2021 | Official Selection

  Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival
  2021 | Official Selection

  Cinema for Peace
  2021 | Nomination — Cinema for Peace Award for Women’s Empowerment

  Lumières Awards
  2022 | Nomination — Best Documentary Film