Character Relationship Map: Raqqa: Spy vs. Spy

Characters

• Haibala (played by Álvaro Morte) — protagonist

  Haibala is the enigmatic international spy serving Russia who enters Raqqa while pursuing a senior jihadist leader. Although he operates on the opposite side from Malika, he shares her objective of lo...

• Malika (played by Mina El Hammani) — protagonist

  Malika is a Spanish agent of Moroccan origin working for Europol in Raqqa. She is searching for a senior jihadist leader so that he can be eliminated and the organization’s collapse accelerated. Thoug...

• Muna (played by Sara Hwidar) — supporting

  Muna is a girl from Melilla whose parents joined the jihad when she was young. Given to Haibala, she tells him that Abu Hassan, the Jordanian’s bodyguard, abused her and answers questions about the Jo...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Malika → Haibala (Alliance Uneasy Mission Partners) — They share a target while serving opposing sides, making their cooperation dangerous and marked by mutual distrust.

  Their character profiles state that they pursue the same senior jihadist leader from opposing sides and that their common mission forces wary cooperat...

• Malika → Muna (Alliance Caregiver And Escape Helper) — Malika uses her position at the hospital to care for Muna and help her escape, an effort that draws suspicion.

  When Muna is badly injured, Malika cares for her and arranges for her to leave the hospital.

• Haibala → Muna (Narrative Questioner And Informant) — Haibala questions Muna for information that may help locate the Jordanian's residence.

  Muna tells Haibala that Abu Hassan abused her. Haibala questions her about the Jordanian's unfinished house and basement.

Story Analysis

Undercover efforts to locate a senior jihadist leader unfold alongside attempts to help women escape from Raqqa, ending with an unresolved escape attempt.

Plot Progression

1. A City Under Siege — The film establishes the Islamic State's territorial power, sources of war financing, and pressure from advancing forces. An arms supplier discusses a shipment route through Mersin as covert arrangeme...
2. Women Under Control — The story reveals the confinement and exploitation of women in Raqqa through Alia's situation and Muna's account. Haibala questions Muna about the Jordanian's unfinished house, while a mosque clue hel...
3. A Nurse's Secret Work — Malika works at the hospital and secretly tries to help women escape, including caring for Muna when she is badly injured. Her conversation with her mother reveals her reasons for coming to Syria and...
4. The Spy Is Exposed — Malika's contact with Muna and questions about the Jordanian's residence expose her as a Spanish spy. The Jordanian's people search for her, and a warning tells her to leave Raqqa.
5. An Unresolved Escape — Malika works with an accomplice to locate the house and prepare a route, then arranges an opportunity for another woman to leave during afternoon prayers. The escape vehicle stops, leaving the outcome...