“It’s the thing that took me out of a really hard childhood … coming from a war zone country, living through the war. And ‘The Lord of the Rings’ was the kind of movie that made me feel powerful,” Marwah, who hails from Baghdad, Iraq, shared with FMT Lifestyle.
“It also inspired me to carry that power forward and spread it. That was the moment I knew… whatever it takes, this is exactly what I want to do: make things that are this epic and move people with my stories,” Marwah, 30, continued.
Fast forward to today, Marwah – now a multimedia graduate and KL-based cinematographer – is working on a project she hopes will carry the same epic, cinematic spirit as Jackson’s films.
Called “17 Days”, this self-funded feature documentary follows Ukrainian Masha Efimova and a group of women on a perilous mission to rescue her horse during the Russia-Ukraine war, testing their strength, resolve, and hope, leaving them to wonder if they’ll succeed, or if war will take away everything they hold dear.
“It made me feel courageous because I saw what this woman did and I felt like I have the power to do whatever it is and to face my fears. The beauty of all the women in ‘17 Days’ is that they did not have courage. They did it in spite of their fear,” said Marwah.
She added that unlike comic book superheroes, these women are “just ordinary people trying to defend and stand in resistance towards the thing that they really loved, and they didn’t let the evils of the war take that away from them. This is what I want to leave the audience with”.
The idea for “17 Days” didn’t come through a pitch – but through Instagram. Marwah and Masha work for the same company in different countries. When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, Masha began sharing her story online.
“One post about her trying to save her horse stopped me in my tracks,” said Marwah. “We got on a call, and I said, ‘This could be something powerful.’ She said, ‘I trust you. Let’s do this.’”
Over three months, the pair talked regularly over Zoom. “I was always on the edge of my seat. I just admired her so much.”
Marwah first shot B-roll footage in Estonia, where Masha is based, then brought Masha to KL for a proper two-day shoot – thanks to a small equipment sponsorship and help from friends.
To capture Masha’s story with care, Marwah transformed an unused studio at her workplace into an intimate set.
“We built a backdrop using her childhood photos, pictures with Vasya, even horse saddles and personal items, small things that showed who she is,” Marwah explained.
For Marwah, humanising the story was key. “War is often told through archives and news footage. But 17 Days is about real people living ordinary lives disrupted by something horrific,” she said.
“I wanted the audience to see Masha not as a headline, but as someone with love, memories, and family – including her horse.”
“17 Days” is currently still in development, but Marwah is using the interview she shot with Masha as material to look for producers. That was when she met Grammy- and Emmy-nominated producer Sarah Olson, and things started to grow.
“We’re now taking this small story and turning it into a proper feature documentary – one that can reach international audiences,” Marwah said. “We’re aiming for festivals and distribution on streaming platforms, but to get there, we need funding.”
The next phase is filming the other women involved, now scattered across Europe. Despite the challenges, Marwah remains driven by what “17 Days” captures: human connection, the bond between a woman and her horse, and the power of storytelling.
“I want to follow the stories that speak to me,” she said. “What I’m learning as I grow in my career is that I’m drawn to stories about ordinary people achieving the extraordinary. That’s what lights me up.”
Find out more about Marwah Ghazi here. Follow Marwah Ghazi on Instagram.