If Luck Will Come (2026)

DESCRIPTION

In Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, childhood ends early. Zahra and Zalgai find rare joy and freedom in a children’s circus in Kabul, where laughter briefly defies a closing world. Filmed over two years, the film follows their passage from play to responsibility: Zahra facing the loss of education and freedom as a girl, Zalgai carrying the weight of family duty. As control tightens, the circus becomes a final act of resistance, bearing witness to Afghan youth, resilience, and silenced dreams.

       

News & reviews

Acquisition news | Business Doc Europe: Filmotor boards Camille Bildsøe’s If Luck Will Come before Locarno int’l prem   – Business Doc Europe

Film Kommentaren | Tue Steen Muller: “If Luck Will Come’ is a powerful political testimony to the brief moment before freedom becomes forbidden”

International premiere announcement | Hollywood Reporter: Locarno Kids Screenings Unveiled, Fest Launches Competition, Kids Jury

DIRECTED BY
Camille Bildsøe, Elk Film, Point of View, Akkeri Film, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, 2026, 87´ & 25´
Festivals
CPH:DOX - Next Wave, Locarno IFF - Kids Screenings, Nordisk Panorama, Reykjavik IFF, Filem´On FF Brussels, IDFA - Best of fests
Awards
A Different Tomorrow Award - Reykjavik IFF
Special screenings
Colors of Dust: Migration Yorkshire, School screening - Galacticat FF Terraga
Broadcasters
DR, NRK, SVT, RÚV
DIRECTOR BIO

Camille Bildsøe is a Copenhagen-based Danish documentary filmmaker with over 12 years of experience. Her work explores the intersection of the political and the deeply personal, often drawing on experiences living and working in conflict zones. Through an ethical, collaborative approach, she creates intimate, character-driven films that reveal profound humanity in extraordinary circumstances.