Copilot

When sharp science student Asli meets charismatic Saeed in the mid 1990s, it’s love at first sight. The lovers marry, and Asli swears to be true to Saeed and never betray his secrets. Their future looks bright, but as the twenty-first century dawns, Saeed makes a decision that will not only shatter Asli’s dreams, but shake the whole world to the core. 

Based on a true story, Copilot unfolds over five years from the moment when Asli and Saeed first meet, and sparks fly, to the moment Saeed is involved in a devastating action. While a major focus of the film is how somebody like Saeed could become radicalised, it is ultimately a portrait of Asli and how she wrestles with the fact that the man she loves is becoming unrecognisable to her. The result is a powerful but sensitive portrayal of self-deception, devastating realisation and love. 

Presented by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Canberra.