Sanaa is having a difficult morning. Frantically running around after her husband and family; she’s late for work, the baby is crying and she can’t find the keys to her apartment. Nothing is going her way.

What begins as a simple trip to the bakery turns into a journey that depicts not only the subtle tensions of a politically charged environment, but also illustrates the grief that can result from growing up under occupation.

A Japanese pilot during World War Two, a young Lebanese woman during the civil war of the 1980s, and a young Palestinian man from a refugee camp in the Occupied Territories. Before setting off on their missions, each has their portrait taken.

A Wishful Smile captures the beauty and complexity of Lebanon set against a backdrop of conflict and turmoil.