Rahma

Local title
Rahma
Original title
Rahma
Director
Faysal Soysal
Year
2026

A childless couple’s life changes when a Syrian refugee arrives, carrying a secret that alters everything.

Meryem, an archaeologist working in Şanlıurfa Göbeklitepe, is on the verge of losing hope of becoming a mother after undergoing surgeries and unsuccessful IVF attempts. Despite her husband İbrahim’s objections, she turns to surrogacy in Georgia as a last resort. Just then, her path crosses that of Rahma, a 9-year-old Syrian orphan struggling alone against life’s hardships. When Meryem learns the secret Rahma has been hiding from everyone, a mystical bond begins to form between them; over time, the child’s presence transforms into a mysterious force that heals Meryem’s emotional wounds. As they prepare to build a new future together, Rahma’s dark past continues to haunt them. Alongside becoming a mother, Meryem is drawn into a relentless struggle where she will discover just how far she is willing to go to protect a child.

With remarkable delicacy, director Faysal Soysal approaches this complex, deeply human story. His assured work with the actors and crew allows every character to retain their dignity. Rather than judging them, he stands beside them, drawing us into their hopes, contradictions and pain. The result is an intimate, emotionally powerful film that quietly takes hold and may leave more than a few searching for a handkerchief by the final scene.

Nikolaj Nikitin

Director
Faysal Soysal
Screenwriter
Faysal Soysal
Producer
Faysal Soysal
Co-producer
Ivan Tonev, Michael Sarantinos, Giuseppe Lepore, Selman Alimoğlu, Barış Yıldırım, Simonetta Ingrosso
Cinematographer
Vedat Özdemir
Editing
Osman Bayraktaroğlu
Production Design
Meral Aktan
Composer
Peyman Yazdanian
Production
balkon film production
Co production
Ars Digital, Steficon, Bielle Re
Sound
Boris Trayanov
Sound
Soundpark, Ars Digital
Runtime
Subtitles
Faysal Soysal
Director
Biography

Faysal Soysal (1979) was born in Batman, Turkey. He initially studied medicine before turning to poetry and cinema. He holds an MA in Film Directing from Tehran Art University and has directed and produced numerous short and feature films. His debut feature, “Crossroads” (2013), won awards at international festivals, while his second feature, “Silenced Tree” (2020), a Turkey–Iran co-production, has received 23 international festival awards. Soysal has also produced documentaries for Al Jazeera and TRT, published books on poetry and cinema, and has served as director of the International Amity Short Film Festival since 2018.

Filmography

3 Yol (Crossroads, 2013), Missing Times (2015, doc), Ceviz Agaci (Silenced Tree, 2020), Rahma (2026)

Screenings

Screening090617 / Rahma
SubtitlesEnglish
Q&A guestsFaysal Soysal (Producer, Director, Screenwriter), Deniz Işın (Cast), Feyyaz Duman (Cast), Uğur Aslan (Cast), Özlem Taş (Cast), Sogol Rezvani (Cast), Barış Yıldırım (Co-producer), Giuseppe Lepore (Co-producer)
Q&A duration
Screening duration
Hall 2 Kino Artis
Screening102215 / Rahma
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Hall 2 Kino Artis
Screening122217 / Rahma
SubtitlesEnglish
Screening duration
Trailer