The Way Out - 1 x 44min and 1 x 50min

The Way Out is an intimate look at one of the most vexing security issues of our time: What happens when Canadians join notorious terrorist groups? What happens to the families they leave behind? Is there a way out? How do we, as a nation, deal with them when they want to come home?

Filmmakers Michelle Shephard and David York follow the journey of a Quebec mother, “Saeeda,” who refuses to give up hope for her teenaged daughter. (Both the mother and her daughter are identified by pseudonyms).

Her daughter left Canada suddenly in November 2014 for Syria, with another young woman from Montreal. She called home the next day saying she was joining ISIS. But it wasn’t long until she called again, desperate, saying she had made a mistake.

The film follows the mother’s travels from Canada to Europe and Turkey and back again, talking to everyone and anyone who can help get her daughter home. Eventually Saeeda puts her trust in a Syrian militia, which is allied with coalition forces, for the harrowing escape. Her travels and the people she meets, provide a rarely seen glimpse into what happens behind-the-scenes during war zone negotiations.

At all times, “Saeeda” is guided by her love of her daughter. But she understands there are consequences for the tragic choice Amina made: “You can’t hide what happened, it’s her reality,” says Saeeda. “She has lost the right to make choices.”

The Way Out is a deeply personal story that asks as many questions as it answers, and brings Canadians up close to difficult issues that are so often debated from a comfortable distance.

Directors: Michelle Shephard, David York
Producers: Bryn Hughes, David York
Editor: Nick Hector
Directors of Photography: Iris Ng, Wes Legge
Music: Johnathan Goldsmith

For more information click here.
Watch the trailer on YouTube or Vimeo.