Sofiia Malovatska

Jahia’s Summer

When Mila arrives at the asylum center, Jahia's life changes dramatically. Jahia has previously kept to herself, spending her evenings in the kitchen where she cooks for her mother, who is haunted by memories of their escape from Burkina Faso. Alongside a stern directive that she must go to school, a new girl appears at the center. Mila's forced but genuine optimism breaks through Jahia's barrier, but the wait for the life-altering asylum decision remains terrifying. And one day, Mila and her family receive their verdict. In this deeply unsettling but still hopeful drama, we follow two vulnerable friends who try to navigate an unstable and artificial everyday life, where life has an expiration date. Or a new beginning.