The current situation in Syria has made a lot of people flee the country seeking refuge. Their journey is not easy. Although they think they have left war behind, a piece of it stays with them, and they face new struggles that could be even bigger.

Not only is the Syrian family devastated by war; war also lays siege to their inter-family relationships and individual personalities. The Outcast is a fictional story that deals with one such wartime family as they navigate a new culture trying to find real peace.

As a director I am influenced by stories that are inspired by real events, I think this approach would make people connected to the core of the characters. I am also fascinated by the drama of a fish out of water. In other words, characters who are left in a whole new environment where they are pushed to change. On the personal level, I have witnessed similar experiences in international airports where families got separated. For instance, I saw a woman with her children who was not able to join her husband which left the family on the edge of a disaster. I don’t know what happened after that, but I know the wife and kids had to go back. A lot of tears were shed and their fates are unknown.