Cover image via Marwah Ghazi (Provided to SAYS)
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Some filmmakers chase trends. Others, like Marwah Ghazi, craft worlds so personal and poetic they stay with you long after the credits roll.
Her short film, The Red Dress, proved exactly that, earning international acclaim for its quiet power.
Now, the KL-based Iraqi filmmaker is stepping onto an even bigger stage, joining forces with Los Angeles-based Grammy and Emmy-nominated producer Sarah Olson for a new documentary — 17 Days — that's part survival story, part ode to resilience.
Marwah Ghazi.
Image via Marwah Ghazi (Provided to SAYS)
Masha Efimova (left) is the leading Ukrainian woman in '17 Days', who embarked on an impossible journey to rescue her horse during wartime.
Image via Marwah Ghazi (Provided to SAYS)Marwah's journey from The Red Dress to international recognition was anything but overnight
Before the applause and festival spotlights, there was just an idea and the stubborn belief it mattered.
The Red Dress didn't shout; it whispered — a lyrical meditation on survival and solitude that won Best of Fest at Glass Ceiling Breakers and screened in New York.
The film, shot across various locations in KL and Selangor, caught the attention of industry insiders with its emotional honesty, proving that a story rooted in Malaysia can move audiences halfway around the world.
Her new documentary, 17 Days, is a wartime rescue story almost too gripping to be true
In 17 Days, the stakes aren't fictional. A Ukrainian woman risks everything to save her horse during the early days of the Russian invasion.
What begins as a desperate act of love spirals into a dangerous journey with a fearless band of women, each confronting the brutality of war head-on.
It's the kind of story where every moment could tip towards hope — or heartbreak.
Sarah Olson isn't just a producer; she's a powerhouse in socially resonant storytelling
Her track record spans from the political fire of Knock Down the House to the intimate portraits in JUNE: The Story of June Carter Cash. She's the kind of collaborator who shapes not just films, but how audiences remember them.
Sarah Olson at this year's Grammy Awards.
Image via Marwah Ghazi (Provided to SAYS)
Marwah isn't treating 17 Days as just another project. "Sarah's creative insight has already challenged me to level up my own work," she shared.
With 17 Days now in late development, the pair is determined to make a film that doesn't just get made, but leaves a mark.
Marwah's rise is proof that you don't have to compromise your artistic DNA to reach an international stage
Her work remains rooted in emotional truth and atmospheric storytelling, even as she collaborates with some of the biggest names in the industry.
