Juha the Whale

Juha the Whale is a short coming-of-age fiction film that explores the isolation a refugee mother and her young daughter face as they await the status of their claimant hearing in Toronto, Canada.

Najah (45) and her daughter Noor (8), spend the days leading up to their hearing in cramped refugee housing, awaiting the verdict, which will determine whether they can remain in Canada or be deported back to war-torn Syria. The story is told through fragmented scenes, conveying a lost sense of time as the hours blend together. Striking visuals capture the alienation of their cramped apartment, while fleeting snapshots of bustling city life from their small bedroom window emphasize their isolation. This domestic reality is juxtaposed with Noors disjointed auditory memories of her father as she struggles to mentally cope with war-related trauma. Through these creative elements, Juha the Whale seeks to authentically portray the complex and desperate experiences of a broken family caught between hope and despair.