Director: Thomas Morgan | Countries of production: Lebanon, United States | Year: 2017 | Length: 73 min
Language: Arabic with English subtitles | Certificate: PG Cert

Soufra follows the unlikely and wildly inspirational story of intrepid social entrepreneur, Mariam Shaar – a generational refugee who has spent her entire life in the Burl El Barajneh refugee camp just south of Beirut, Lebanon. The film follows Mariam as she sets out to change her fate by launching a catering company, ‘Soufra’, and then expands it into a food truck business with a diverse team of fellow refugee woman who now share this camp as their home.

Together, they heal the wounds of war through the unifying power of food while taking their future into their own hands through an unrelenting belief in Mariam, and in each other. In the process, Mariam is breaking barriers, pulling together Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian and Lebanese women to work side by side and form beautiful friendships while running this thriving business.

Soufra shines a new and revealing light on people inside the largest refugee crisis in human history, but ultimately this film is about hope, grit, passion and the common bonds created by bringing people together around food as a bridge to overcome all barriers.

Official selection, Berlinale 2018

Official selection, Doc NYC 2018

“A stirring tale of empowerment” New York Times

“Uplifting!” LA Times

“Soufra’s lasting impression is one of empowerment… the film deftly balances the
personalities and culinary creativity with the fundamental matter of day-to-day
political struggle.” Hollywood Reporter

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