The civil war in Syria lasted thirteen years. It was bloody and heavily damaged the country, but of more importance was what it did to its citizens. I Was a Stranger tells the story of some of the citizens who became refugees during the conflict.
Told in a storytelling style similar to that of Pulp Fiction, the film first follows the Doctor, aka Amira Homsi (Yasmine Al Massri), and her daughter. Then the filmmaker introduces the story of the Soldier, aka Mustafa (Yahya Mahayni). The third piece of the story belongs to the Smuggler, aka Marwan (Omar Sy). Next up was the Father, aka Fathi (Ziad Bakri), and his family. Finally, the fifth segment gives us the Captain, aka Stavros (Constantine Markoulakis).
Writer/director Brandt Andersen has crafted a story that gives us a glimpse into the lives of each person before weaving them together to bring the refugees out of Syria and the refugee camps across the border and then across the sea to Greece and maybe to peace.
There is death and danger at every step of this story. The characters are amalgamations inspired by the stories of many refugees who fled their homeland and those who took advantage of their need for a new home.
The talented actors make this movie both believable and heart-wrenching. This film is the first international film distributed by the good folks at Angel Studios. Known for their well-made faith-based films, they distribute films such as this one that deserve a larger audience than they might have gotten through smaller or niche companies.
I Was a Stranger is a good film that I am glad I saw. I had only thought I understood what was happening during this conflict in the Middle East. Now I have a much better appreciation of the plight of those people involved.
Writer/Director: Brandt Andersen
Cast: Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy, Ziad Bakri, Constantine Markoulakis, Ayman Samman, Jay Abdo, Mahmoud Bakri, Saleh Bakri, Jason Beghe, Carlos Chahine, Konstadinos Danikas, Massa Daoud, Sara El Debuch, Rami Farah, Fares Helou
MPA Rating: PG-13 (for strong violent content/bloody images, thematic material, a racial slur, and smoking)
Selig Rating: 4.5 Stars
Runtime: 97 Min.
Release Date: 01/09/2026
Language: English
Genre(s): Drama
Movie Site: I WAS A STRANGER Official Site
Trailer: I WAS A STRANGER Official Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.