Berlin in Berlin
With actors Hülya Avsar and Cem Özer There is an ancient arab custom that a guest in one’s household must be treated with dignity and respect. If the guest has been given the signs of being a guest (food, etc.) – no matter how inadvertently – then, even if he is an enemy who will […]
Schwarzfahrer (Fare Dodger / Black Rider)
With actors Senta Moira and Paul Outlaw available on DVD with English subtitles in the US A young black man is verbally harassed by an older woman on a streetcar, while the other passengers remain silent. He finally extracts his revenge. Links: IMDB
Wild West
Produced by Eric Fellner With actors Naveen Andrews, Sarita Choudhury, Ronny Jhutti, Ravi Kapoor Available on VHS in the US and on DVD/VHS in the UK This slapstick romp chronicles the ups and downs of a London-based country western band made up of young Pakistani immigrants as they try to make it out of the […]
Allemagne 90 neuf zéro (Germany Year 90 Nine Zero)
With actors Eddie Constantine and Hanns Zischler Germany Year Nine Zero follows an old spy’s journey back to France from the east. Since the Cold War has ended the spy is unclear about who his enemies are, and he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Jean-Luc Godard’s film is a series of scenes that […]
Sommer in Mezra
With actors Hussi Kutlucan, Abdurrahman Selvitop Zur Zeit will der junge Kreuzberger Türke Süleyman nur eines: raus aus der Stadt! Seine Freundin hat ihn gerade verlassen und in seiner WG läuft es auch nicht besonders. Also reist Süleyman in die Türkei, seiner Heimat. In Istanbul wird er von seinem skurrilen Onkel überredet, einen mysteriösen Goldschatz […]
Happy Birthday, Türke! (Happy Birthday, Turk!)
With actors Meret Becker, Hansa Czypionka, Özay Fecht available on DVD in Germany This Teutonic film noir received its first U.S. showing at the Seattle Film Festival. Hansa Czypionka plays Kemal Kayankaya, a Turk who speaks no Turkish. Raised in Germany by German parents, he is virtually man without a country, shunned not only by […]
Lebewohl, Fremde! (Good-bye, Strange Land)
With actors Werner Eichhorn, Müsfik Kenter, Julia Lindig Gemeinsam mit einem Pakistani und einem Afrikaner haust der Asyl suchende Türke Deniz in einem Bauwagen an der nordfriesischen Küste. Eines Tages lernt Deniz die deutsche Fotografin Karin kennen. Sie lebt in einem heimeligen Bauernhaus auf einer nahe gelegenen Hallig. Obwohl keiner von ihnen die Sprache des […]
Reise der Hoffnung (Journey of Hope)
With actors Necmettin Çobanoglu, Emin Sivas, Yaman Okay limited availability on VHS (US) and DVD (Germany) Xavier Koller’s fact-based drama chronicles the hardships suffered by a family of Turkish farmers who sell all of their worldly possessions in order to fund an escape to the greener pastures of Switzerland. En route, they fall prey to […]
Das serbische Mädchen (The Serbian Girl)
With actors Mirjana Jokovic, Ben Becker, Pascal Breuer The naive 18 year old Dobrila leaves her little Serbian village to travel to Hamburg, Germany, where her boyfriend lives. The trip is not easy. Finally in Hamburg she has to realize her boyfriend is not very interested in a relationship. She doesn’t tell him she’s pregnant […]