My Best Friend Married a Warrior

 A short film for BBC iPlayer as part of the Sparks series.

Starring Hamidha Awshan

Written by Chino Odimba

Directed by Fergus Colville

Watch on BBC iPlayer here.

What happens when best friends spend months hatching a plan to escape from an empty life …and then one of them backs out?

Aisha had often joked about becoming a global phenomenon with her best friend Jamilah – they were to become “influencers in a hijab – British Kylie Jenners.” But after making a decision that would be seen as a betrayal of their friendship, Aisha finds herself alone, feeling guilty and confused.

With Jamilah now thousands of miles away, chasing a Warrior Prince and a romantic dream, Aisha is left to pick up the pieces in the world Jamillah left behind.

Aisha’s parents are confused, neighbours are on the rampage, the police have branded Jamillah’s decision as criminal – and yet Aisha knows it was based on love.

A short drama looking at the devastating impact that online grooming can have on the friends and families of two friends, when one of them runs away to Syria, and the other decides to make her future work back home.