Laura H

On July 12, 2016, young Dutch LAURA. H. (20) with her two young children from the caliphate. Of the more than 40,000 young people who left the West for the Caliphate, few managed to get out in one piece.

DIRECTED BY

Kadir Ferati Balci Flynn von Kleist

AFTER THE BOOK BY

Thomas Rueb / Das Mag

PRODUCED BY

RELEASE

Tomtit Film

RUNTIME

September ‘24

6 x 50 mins

CREDITS

director Kadir Ferati Balci, Flynn von Kleist, line producer Robert Post, director of photography Jan van Caillie, Joyce van Diepen,
line producer - Belgium Grietje Lammertyn, line producer - Jordan Rula Nasr, casting - Netherlands East Indy Casting / Marloes Moolenaar, casting - Jordan Mohammed Kloob, composer Reinhard Vanbergen, Charlotte Caluwaerts sound design Regard Ibrahim, editor Fatih Tura, co-producer HUMAN VPRO Martien Vlietman, co-producer VRT Lotte Vermeir, Wim Janssen, Elly Vervloet, producer Tomtit Film / Monique Busman, in co production with Mockingbird productions / Dries Phylpo, Alex Verbaere, David Claikens, screenplay WinchesterMcFly / Matthijs Bockting, Pieter van der Berg, after the book by Thomas Rueb / Das Mag, broadcaster HUMAN VPRO, VRT, with a contribution from VAF, NL Film Incentive, Belgian Tax Shelter, BNP Paribus Fortis

cast Zoë Love Smith, Bilal el Aoumari, Mike Reus, Sanguita Akkrum, Ahlaam Teghadouini, Juda Goslinga, Frieda Pittoors, Dilan Yurdakul, Martijn Lakemeier, Dahlia Pessemiers Benamar, Kaltoum Boufangacha, Florysch-Thobyaz van Riet, Leila Jane Ali Dib, Ahlam el Jenati, Rana Silay, Aurora Laureijs, Ana Mirai Marques, Oliver van Engel, Joah van Stockhausen, Mohammed Musa, Joanna Arida, Reem Saadeh and others

Additional Details

AUDIO LANGUAGES

Dutch, Arabic, English

Mockingbird Productions, HUMAN VPRO, VRT, BNP Paribas Fortis

CO-PRODUCER

SALES AGENT

Dutch CORE

On July 12, 2016, young Dutch LAURA. H. (20) with her two young children from the caliphate. Of the more than 40,000 young people who left the West for the Caliphate, few managed to get out in one piece.

In the Netherlands, Laura was the first woman to do so. Soon Laura claims to have been kidnapped to the caliphate by her husband. She wants to return to Holland to finish school and be a good mother to her children. She even swears off Islam.

Nevertheless, she is arrested immediately upon arrival at Schiphol Airport on suspicion of terrorist motives. There are great doubts about her story. Even her father Eugène - who has moved heaven and earth to get Laura home - has his doubts. And while Laura tries to prove in the present that she is not acting on behalf of the Caliphate, the past reveals how Laura struggles to be a good teenage mother.

Laura tries to extricate herself from the stifling rules of youth care and becomes increasingly isolated as a result. Laura's parents do not accept her irresponsible choices and withdraw their hands from her. When Laura thinks all hope is lost, she meets Ibrahim: he sees Laura for who she really is. But he also is the man with radical thoughts about Islam, who promises Laura that the answer lies in leaving for the Caliphate.

Is Laura telling the full truth about her escape from the Caliphate? Or is she hiding something and are we dealing with someone waiting for the right moment to disrupt the Netherlands with an act of terror?

Synopsis

Highlights

Stills from the documentary

You might also like

 
   Between Dog And Wolf

Philip Huff

 
   Heavenly Key

Digna Sinke

 
   Burning Times

Juul op den Kamp