US-Turkey relations
This article summarizes the crucial role Turkey plays in a diverse set of important areas, seen form the US point of view. “Given Turkey’s history as a secular democratic stat that respects the rule of law, but is also a majority Muslim nation, it plays a critical role…in helping to shape mutual understanding […]
Berlin’s Museum of Islamic art reaches out to new audiences
Berlin’s Museum of Islamic art is vastly expanding. The museum plans to reach out to non-Islamic people by “making sense of the present through the past”. In this article, Stefan Weber, in charge of the expansion, seems to genuinely want to reach out to the German people and teach them about Muslim culture. His ideas […]
“Nur nicht auffallen” von Claudia Keller, Der Tagesspiegel, 1.2.2010
The article describes the life of the Martinez family, a family that lives illegally in Berlin and the challenges they face to keep their status from the authorities. They live a relatively normal middle class life but beneath the surface constantly struggle. Their predicament is just one example of many facing illegal residents. Approximately 50,000 […]
Studie zu “Ehrenmorden”
Ein Bericht über eine Studie zu “Ehrenmorden”, die viel Aufmerksamkeit in der deutschen Presse finden, aber nicht unbedingt als solche bezeichnet werden sollten. Die Zeit: Was den Mord zum Ehrenmord macht
Debate about Sarrazin’s comments about Immigrants
Thilo Sarrazin’s controversial comments about Turkish Immigrants have led to a broader discussion about immigration and integration in Germany. Spiegel Online: Sarrazins türkenfeindliche Tiraden lösen Entsetzen aus Spiegel Online: Türken empören sich über Sarrazin Zeit: Zentralrat sieht Sarrazin in der Tradition Hitlers Zeit: Unter Deutschen Spiegel Online: Ökonom fordert Integrationsministerium/Umfrage: Zustimmung für Sarrazins Meinung
Angst essen Seele auf (Ali: Fears Eats the Soul)
With actors Brigitte Mira and El Hedi ben Salem, Barbara Valentin Available on VHS with English subtitles in USA Rainer Werner Fassbinder, already the director of almost twenty films by the age of twenty-nine, paid homage to his cinematic hero, Douglas Sirk, with this updated version of Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows. Lonely widow Emmi […]
Kebab Connection
With actors Denis Moschitto, Nora Tschirner, Hasan Ali Mete, Cem Akin, Nursel Köse, Güven Kiraç Available on DVD in Germany and the US Links: IMDB, German-Films.de Genre(s): Comedy; Theme(s): Ethnicity; Spatial or Temporal Spaces and Borders Review by Sara Sellami: Kebab Connection is a comedy by Anno Saul, a German film director, and was released in 2005. […]
Gegen die Wand (Head-On)
With actors Birol Unel, Sibel Kekilli, Catrin Striebeck, Guven Kirac; available on DVD in the US and Germany Rezension von Julia Schroeder: Der Film “Gegen die Wand” von Fatih Akins ist eine dramatische und brutale Tragikomödie und gleichzeitig eine zärtliche Liebesgeschichte über zwei verzweifelte, leidenschaftliche Menschen, die sich nach ihrem Selbstmordversuch, (er fährt gegen die Wand […]
Anam – Meine Mutter (My Mother)
color, Germany, Buket Alakuş, 86 Min, 2001 With actors Nursel Köse and Saskia Vester. Anam is a 40-year-old traditional Turkish wife and mother who lives with her family in Germany, where she works as a cleaning lady. When Anam finds out that her 20-year-old son Deniz has drifted into the drug scene and that […]