Rahil is a twelve-year- old Iraqi girl living in an impoverished neighbourhood in Italy. Her guardians, Jamal and Anna, often argue and the local bullies label her 'stinky'. Despite the hardships, she clings to the hope that her destiny is to travel as her name (which means 'nomad') would suggest. Her only friends are a doll that she names Mohammed and her pet dog, dyed blue to match the colour of the Baghdad sky. There are unanswered questions in Rahil's life namely the real identity of her guardians and the reason why Jamal receives payments from the local mafia. Then there are Rahil's vivid memories of trips through the desert with armed men in Arab dress. When one of Jamal's 'business deals' ends in violence, Rahil is left to fend for herself and wander the rail tracks alone, encountering a variety of characters who help her fulfil her destiny and gradually reveal her secret. Rahil's Secret follows in the tradition of classic films such as Whistle Down the Wind and The Spirit of the Beehive, where the world of children with all its petty cruelties collides with the harsher adult domain. The film's story has a contemporary political resonance and effectively reflects the immigrant experience as Rahil faces pressure to conform to the beliefs of her adopted country and suppress her own racial identity. Both an intriguing mystery and an entirely believable portrait of childhood, the film features an amazing debut performance from Ons Ben Raies as Rahil.

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