From becoming the first female in history to join her University’s all male American football team, to getting the lead in Shakespeare’s Othello, Samira redefines what it means to be a woman in modern day Britain, in this visual exploration of youth, identity and womanhood.

Director’s Statement

The desire to see more people I can identify with reflected on screen as a woman, and as a dark-skinned woman of colour in particular was one of my key motivations behind making the short documentary SAMIRA. I really wanted to show how multi-faceted and strong women can be, whilst at the same time trying to create something with universal themes – of belonging and finding one’s identity, that absolutely anybody can connect with. It was also about creating something really inspiring, so that viewers can leave the piece feeling lighter and uplifted. And Samira Conteh – the young women I created this documentary portrait about was the perfect embodiment of all of this – so brave, unfettered by other people’s expectations, and excited about life. Hopefully some of that will rub off on you!