For over a decade, Czech filmmaker Markéta Ekrt Válková has followed the lives of the Alhariri family, Syrian immigrants building a new life in Prague. Her documentary, Amira’s Children (Amiřiny děti), offers a time-lapse portrait of their experiences, capturing the daily challenges of adapting to a foreign culture while preserving the ties to their homeland. The film presents an intimate look at identity, family, and the complexities of integration without sentimentality or overt commentary.
Arriving with little more than memories of their war-torn homeland, Amira Alhariri and her family have navigated the uncertainties of life in a new country. Through everyday moments—from schooling to family meals—the documentary traces how the children grow between two worlds, negotiating language, tradition, and personal identity. Amira’s Children is both a human story and a lens into broader social issues facing migrants in Europe today.
The film’s release in Czech cinemas on Feb. 19 through Pilot Film offers a rare longitudinal view rarely seen in Czech cinema, highlighting the nuances of cultural adaptation over ten years.
Life between two worlds
Amira’s Children follows Amira and her husband as they raise their children amid the contrasting pressures of Czech society and their Syrian roots. Scenes range from the youngest son speaking Czech more fluently than Arabic, to the eldest daughter weighing whether to wear a hijab among her peers. The middle children grapple with balancing parental expectations against their emerging identities.
While her husband runs a small kebab business to provide financial stability, Amira becomes the cultural anchor of the household. She prepares traditional meals, tells stories of Syria, and maintains connections with relatives spread across the globe. These intimate moments reflect the personal side of migration—how love, guidance, and resilience can shape adaptation while retaining a sense of heritage.
The film also highlights the evolving perception of the family by Czech neighbors and classmates. Initially met with suspicion, the family gradually gains trust and respect, illustrating how empathy and openness can bridge cultural divides.
“I was surprised that Czechs often assume an Arab woman comes here to free herself from something,” Amira said. “This view is distorted. I am a Syrian Muslim, open since childhood, and my father, an imam, always gave me complete freedom in my beliefs and work.”
Capturing the complexity of integration
Director Markéta Ekrt Válková emphasizes that the documentary avoids simplistic narratives. “Without Amira, the film would not exist,” she said. “Her faith in goodness and hope allowed us to capture their life over such a long period. She is grounded in her values, empathetic, open, and curious.”
Válková became more than an observer; she actively assisted the family, reflecting her commitment to authentically portraying their experiences. The film examines integration not as a theoretical concept, but as the lived reality of a family navigating education, work, and social acceptance while facing prejudice.
The narrative reaches a turning point with the fall of the Assad regime, which provides a natural closure and allows the Alhariris to redefine their notion of homeland. Amira describes Prague and Syria as both central to her identity.
“Both are my homelands,” she says. “I love them and am proud of them. Living here changed my perspective on people. Every society has good and bad.” Today, Amira works at Prague’s Diakonie, helping other immigrant families find their place in Czech society.
Amira’s Children offers a decade-long perspective on migration and cultural adaptation in the Czech Republic, balancing intimate family storytelling with broader social insight. Its release comes at a time when debates over integration and multiculturalism remain highly relevant across Europe.
