Cast: Ebada Hassan, Safiyya Ingar  Directed by Nadia Fall.

Nadia Fall’s Brides arrives at the Edinburgh International Film Festival as one of the most provocative titles in this year’s UK selection — not because of its scale, but because of the sensitivity of its subject and the authenticity of its execution. The film follows two disillusioned 15-year-old girls, Doe and Muna, who make a pact to leave their troubled lives in the UK and travel to the Syrian border, influenced by online propaganda and a desperate desire to belong.

A fictional story Inspired by real-life cases such as Shamima Begum and other young women drawn into extremist networks, Fall sets out to tell the story from the girls’ point of view. “We just noticed how the British press really vilified the young women as monsters and evil… and we thought, God, we’ve got to tell the story from the young women’s point of view.”

Although Fall is widely known as a theatre director, Brides marks her feature debut — the result of a six-year development process. “Like all independent film, it takes longer than you can imagine… you have to keep the faith.”

Shot across three countries on a small independent budget, the film maintains a surprising tonal balance — addressing racism, bullying, poverty and radicalisation, while still allowing space for humour and hope. “Young people do have hopes and dreams… and they can be funny in the face of tragedy,” Fall notes.

One of the most powerful scenes involves Doe stepping in when Muna’s hijab is ripped off — and being punished for it. Hassan calls it “a clear-cut example” of how young people of colour are repeatedly failed by institutions: “She steps in and defends her friend from a hate crime… and she’s the one who gets punished.”

Asked to describe the film in a few words, the director pauses before offering — “Road movie… vibrating… disarming.”