NAIMA reflects the individual fates of many migrants, who, unlike ‘expats’, start out in a foreign country with completely different prerequisites. Unrecognised diplomas and limited access to apprenticeships often prevent them from realising their potential and finding their place in society. This often results in health issues, especially mental health issues, which create a vicious circle for their professional and family lives.
In the media, migrants often appear as a threatening group, but rarely do we get to know who they really are. NAIMA shows the struggles and untapped potential that many still carry with them even after years in their new country. We look behind the façade of prejudice and show a fighter who is seeking a path to fair integration for herself and many others. Naima is not only meant to encourage migrants but everyone who fights for their place in society.

A sudden violent experience catalyzes an unlikely bond between two migrants in the Chinese community of Queens. Navigating lives far from home and the painstaking labor that supports them, they journey through sorrow together in hopes of finding family.

On a small Japanese island, life revolves around the changing seasons. Winter is time for ice hockey at school, but Takuya isn’t too thrilled about it. His real interest lies in Sakura, a figure skating rising star from Tokyo, for whom he starts to develop a genuine fascination. Coach and former champion Arakawa, spots potential in Takuya, and decides to mentor him to form a duo with Sakura for an upcoming competition. As winter persists, feelings grow, and the two children form an harmonious bond. But even the first snow eventually melts away.