The Passage hits French cinemas on July 8, 2026. Directed by Brandt Andersen, this drama weaves together several lives linked by Syrian exile, featuring Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy, Ziad Bakri and Constantine Markoulakis.
The feature film, originally titled I Was a Stranger, follows Amira, who works at a major hospital in Chicago. On her birthday, a message on her phone triggers a traumatic memory: years earlier, on the night of her 40th birthday, a bomb destroys her apartment in Aleppo. Amira’s only priority then is to grab her daughter and run.
The Passage
Film | 2024
Cinema release: 8 July 2026
Drama | Runtime: 1h43
By Brandt Andersen | Screenplay: Brandt Andersen
Starring Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy, Ziad Bakri, Constantine Markoulakis
Original title: I Was a Stranger
Origins: Jordan, United States
Distributor: Nour Films
Rating: suitable for all audiences with a warning
From this escape, Le Passage crafts a narrative of exile in which several trajectories cross. The film centers on a Syrian family, but also follows others encountered along the road, including a stranger whose gesture could alter the course of a life.
Yasmine Al Massri portrays Amira Homsi, while Omar Sy plays Marwan. The cast also features Yahya Mahayni as Mustafa and Ziad Bakri as Fathi. The film sits firmly in a dramatic register, with a plot forged by war, family separation, and the question of rescue.
The Passage had already been making the festival circuit ahead of its French release. Boxoffice Pro notes that the film picked up the Best International Film prize at the San Diego Festival, the Amnesty International Prize at the Berlin Festival, and the Audience Award at the Deauville Festival.
The film may appeal to viewers drawn to dramas grounded in contemporary realities, especially stories of exile and survival. Its “all audiences with a warning” rating, however, flags a potentially harrowing subject tied to war and forced displacement.
The VOSTFR trailer for Le Passage offers a first look at the film before its theatrical release.
To keep the cinema experience going, check out the July movie releases, the films to see right now, and our drama picks of the year.
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