A Victory of Love draws upon exclusive access to the family’s treasured archive footage, interview testimony, personal drawings and diaries from their time incarcerated all intertwined with hundreds of genuine text messages sent between Carolyn and ISIS. Providing a unique insight into her powerful year long negotiation, involving faith, truth and love.
"I lost my mind. I entered a different world"
A Victory of Love
Martin and Carolyn receive a call from their children that an army is invading and they are about to be kidnapped.
Martin leaves to intercept while Carolyn rushes home to find her children are gone, their home destroyed.
While she waits for news she discovers that the only possession to survive are the family’s home videos and a camera. In her anguish, she plays them over and over again, the memories flooding her.
But she's told of another video and throughout the night she downloads a file showing a man dressed in orange pleading to camera in front of three executed prisoners. It's her husband, Martin.
"I remained sitting without uttering a word. It was as if a jug of cold water had been poured over me"
"I found a book. I found a pen. I tried to put away these feelings inside of me with those drawings"
"Martin was speaking? Martin is in a film? Send it to me, send me the film now!"
Simon Kreitem is a documentary filmmaker, photographer and Founder of the company Lonelyleap.
The son of a Palestinian refugee, Simon has long been drawn to the stories of those who have experienced the unthinkable.
Simon first met Martin and Carolyn in Lebanon and discovered their astonishing true story of familial resilience and love.
In 2015 in North East Syria, four members of the family were kidnapped by ISIS and held hostage for one year. The mother, Carolyn, left alone, corresponded directly with ISIS to try and secure their release.
Over the past seven years Simon has collaborated with the family to tell their story.
