Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo (French: Dounia et la princesse d'Alep) is a French-Canadian animated children's fantasy film directed by André Kadi and Marya Zarif (who also wrote the film).
The film centers around Dounia, a little girl from Aleppo, Syria. Dounia is raised by her loving family, who tell her tales of how the world came to be. However, increasing unrest forces the family and their friends to flee their beloved city. The legends of the Levant aid the refugees in their escape to their new homes.
First released on the festival circuit in 2022, the film received a theatrical release in its native Canada in 2023. The story is also presented as an animated series in Canada; there is also an illustrated album published in 2023.
Tropes:
- Checkpoint Charlie: The refugees have to cross the Turkish border, but a couple of Turkish soldiers want to stop them from entering. The goddess Ishtar grows a forest for them to hide in and cross the border.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Dounia's grandparents grew up together and eventually married.
- Chubby Mama, Skinny Papa: Dounia's grandparents. Téta Mouné is the rotund mama, Dharwich is the slim papa.
- Exhausted Eye Bags: Dounia's deathly ill mother is drawn with eyebags to emphasize this.
- Fertility God: The refugees pass a temple to the ancient fertility goddess, Ishtar. She is portrayed as a dancing, scantily-clad woman who grows a big forest so Dounia and her family can escape the Checkpoint Charlies into Turkey.
- The Hecate Sisters: The three women who surround little Dounia at the beginning — her wise, tradition-minded grandmother Téta Mouné is the Crone; their practical family friend Mrs. Dabouss is the Mother; Mrs. Dabouss's young daughter Lina (the only one to get something of a romance subplot) is the Maiden.
- "Just So" Story: Dounia is told a fable about Leila, a woman with beautiful, shining dark hair. Leila became the wife of the King of Clouds, and her hair now lights up the night sky.
- Ode to Food: The lyrics of the traditional song "Aala Dalaouna" are modified for a song Dounia and her grandmother sing about making mamounieh (a traditional breakfast pudding from Aleppo).
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Lina is the youngest of the adult women and is constantly on her phone.
- Raised by Grandparents: Since the death of Dounia's mom and the arrest of her dad, she has been raised by her father's parents.
- Reading Tea Leaves: Mrs. Dabouss reads the coffee cups of Dounia and her grandmother Téta Mouné. For the latter she foretells that she will eventually find a place of peace; for the latter she sees that Dounia will dance in the big world.
- Those Two Guys: Ayn and Chand, a two-headed statue where each head has its own personality (Ayn is more emotional and dramatic; Chand is more practical and down-to-earth). The statue follows the family in their escape and the heads talk to each other about the events.
- War Refugees: Dounia, her grandparents, and some family friends all flee Aleppo after losing their homes in the Syrian Civil War. With great difficulty, they cross Turkey into Europe. Mrs. Darbouss, Lina, and Djewane end up in Germany; Abdo and his family in Sweden; and Dounia and her family in Canada — though all keep in touch.
