Now settled, Dounia and her grandparents slowly get to know Canada, the new home that welcomed them: its intense seasons, its special foods, its languages (three and counting!). Dounia’s grandparents are sure to keep their Syrian traditions alive at home, while her new friends share traditions of their own, like Rosalie’s French-Canadian lifestyle or Miguizou’s vast indigenous folklore. So while she still misses her dad who stayed back in Aleppo, Dounia now has new ways to keep him with her. It’s when Kukum, Miguizo’s grandmother, teaches Dounia to call her father with all of her heart, that he just might find his way back to her.

A few nigella seeds tucked in the palm of her hand, six-year-old Dounia leaves Aleppo with the Princess of Aleppo’s help and travels towards a new world. A heart-warming animation centered around a little girl bursting with confidence, in herself and in life; an ode to the power of optimism against all odds and hardships.