The Beginning of a Dream

Aya Gaadan, 2018 | MODE Istanbul (Turkey)

A young Syrian woman pursues her dream of becoming a boxer. She finds a local boxing gym and a coach to begin training her.   The film illustrates the agency that a young displaced Muslim woman can have, and in doing so it breaks down stereotypes.   This video could be used in university courses on migration-related issues (or in relevant high school classes) to provide a counter-narrative to one-dimensional media portrayals of displaced youth as well as challenging stereotypes of hijab-wearing young women.