
Spotlight on Merna
Merna in de Spotlight
HomePage
Overview
Taking part in The Voice Kids is already quite something, but for 11-year-old Merna it’s really something special. Her parents had to flee Iraq because they are part of the Christian minority, and IS was threatening to kidnap Merna. They now live in Lebanon, where one in three people is a refugee. The family has been waiting for two years for permission to move on. FaceTiming with her older sister, who stayed behind in Iraq, and cooking her favorite dishes with her mother make the situation more bearable. But what also really helps is singing – this calms Merna and makes her less afraid. She used to sing only in church, but since The Voice her beautiful, melancholy voice touches everyone. Because of her status as a refugee, Merna isn’t allowed to attend the foreign performances with the other finalists, but she’s now a national celebrity in Lebanon.
Release Date
2016-11-17
Average
10
Rating:
5.0 startsTagline
Genres
Languages:
Keywords
Similar Movies
7.0Nas: Time Is Illmatic(en)
Time Is Illmatic is a feature length documentary film that delves deep into the making of Nas' 1994 debut album, Illmatic, and the social conditions that influenced its creation.
7.0Imogen Cunningham, photographer(en)
A fascinating insight into the life and works of photographer Imogen Cunningham. Coming into public attention around 1910, she was celebrated in the late sixties through awards, honorary degrees and exhibitions. Her photos are looked at from three focal points: nature, portraits and figure studies.
5.1What Difference Does It Make?(en)
A documentary that explores the challenges that a life in music can bring.
7.1If I Had Four Dromedaries(fr)
Composed entirely of still photographs taken by Chris Marker across 26 countries, If I Had Four Dromedaries presents a dialogue between three voices reflecting on the meaning of images and travel. Through this photo-essay form, Marker explores the relationship between still and moving images and the act of seeing itself.
7.4Legends of the Knight(en)
Legends of the Knight weaves together the stirring true stories of individuals who have overcome devastating obstacles, unselfishly given to the community, and embraced their inner superhero because of their love of Batman. Through the deeply personal tales of Batman fans, writers, and filmmakers, this feature-length documentary explores the power of heroic stories and encourages viewers to find their own unique path to heroism. Funded by over 1,100 people from around the world, Legends of the Knight is a return to our childhood dreams of being a hero. Put on your cape, and be inspired!
6.4The End of Summer(fr)
A 16 year old girl recalls the last moments of her summer vacation, spent with friends in the Laurentians north of Montreal. She reminisces about their talks on life, death, love, and God. Shot in direct cinema style, working from a script that left room for the teenagers to improvise and express their own thoughts, the film sought to capture the immediacy of the youths presence their bodies, their language, their environment.
7.7Blush: An Extraordinary Voyage(fi)
For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.
The Screen Writer(en)
This short film focuses on the job of the Hollywood screenwriter.
7.0Searching for Bong(ko)
Unlike our dream of becoming a great filmmaker, the movie boards that adults talk about are tough. We are looking for our idol, Bong Joon-ho...
Penguins April Fool - The Making of(en)
The making of the hoax film Miracles of Evolution.
6.4House of Flying Arrows(en)
The popular rise of darts is charted in this pin-sharp documentary that follows the trajectory of arrows from local pub to beer-soaked arena. Featuring archive footage, behind-the-scenes access and interviews with current darting personalities such as Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld, the film traces the sport's evolution from humble beginnings through to the glamorous heyday of the 1980s and on into the lucrative professional era.
7.0Paris in the Belle Epoque(de)
The Bokelberg photographic collection brings to life the Paris of the Belle Époque (1871-1914), an exhibition of workshops and stores with extremely beautiful shop windows before which the owners and their employees proudly pose, hiding behind their eyes the secret history of a great era.
0.0Stranger in the City(en)
Aspects of a London day, including prostitutes on street corners, a striptease show and the 2i's Coffee Bar.
10.0Behind The 1975’s 'Notes on a Conditional Form'(en)
“Let’s describe it as a desire to be outward followed by a fear of being seen,” The 1975’s Matty Healy tells Apple Music. “I think that is the conversation that happens in this record.” This short film finds Healy reflecting on his motivations and complexities as he and his bandmates reveal the ideas that fuelled their fourth album, Notes on a Conditional Form. It’s a unique and unguarded look at one of Britain’s most venturous bands.
8.3Night and Fog(fr)
Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.
5.8Breakdowns of 1938(en)
Flubs and bloopers that occurred on the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1938.
9.0Make the World Greta Again(en)
Upon realising her generation won’t have a future unless the world’s politicians act now on climate change, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg skipped school in August 2018 to protest outside the Swedish parliament. What started as a one person strike soon gained global momentum. We follow Greta and the organisers of the school strikes for climate as they are cementing a worldwide movement ahead of their first global protest that took place on March 15th, 2019. It was the biggest climate strike in history with up to 1.6 million students in more than 125 countries.
Recommendations Movies
7.8Being James Bond(en)
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
6.9Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience(en)
A celebration of the universe, displaying the whole of time, from its start to its final collapse. This film examines all that occurred to prepare the world that stands before us now: science and spirit, birth and death, the grand cosmos and the minute life systems of our planet.
8.0My Mom Jayne(en)
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
6.8Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home(en)
JB Smoove and Martin Starr host a celebration of 20 years of "Spider-Man" movies, from the Sam Raimi trilogy to Marc Webb's movies and the trio from Jon Watts.
5.9One Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper(en)
Join director Clint Eastwood and his creative team, along with Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, as they overcome enormous creative and logistic obstacles to make a film that brings the truth of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's story to the screen.
6.2Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special(en)
Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there's only one person who can save the day: Santa's great friend Mariah Carey. The Queen of Christmas creates a fabulous and star-studded spectacular to make the whole world merry!
6.8Looking for Richard(en)
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
7.0Girl Rising(en)
Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.
8.1Far from the Tree(en)
On an idyllic beach in the Pacific Northwest, curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe.
7.5A Plastic Ocean(en)
A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.
7.5The Irishman: In Conversation(en)
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.
7.1PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue(en)
A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
6.1Naqoyqatsi(en)
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
6.9Lend a Paw(en)
Jealous over Mickey's attention to a kitten, Pluto's devil-self argues with his angel-self over whether or not to rescue the kitten when it falls into a well. The angel-self wins, and Pluto is treated like a hero. In the end, he and the kitten become friends.
7.1Audrey(en)
An unprecedented and intimate look at the life, work and enduring legacy of British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
7.2To Be Takei(en)
Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad, on a wacky and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.
7.4For the Love of Spock(en)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
6.5The September Issue(en)
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
7.4I Am Heath Ledger(en)
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
5.9Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert(en)
In this concert film, 'Hannah Montana' star Miley Cyrus performs a slew of hit songs, including 'Just Like You' and 'Life's What You Make It.'

