Film Review: “Born in Absurdistan”
As part of the Multicultural Germany undergraduate seminar at UC Berkeley, students reviewed recent German films relating in various ways to topics of migration, multiculturalism, and contemporary German identity. Tanja Mehlo reviewed the 1999 film “Geboren in Absurdistan” (Born in Absurdistan): Geboren in Absurdistan, a 1999 Austrian drama film directed by Houchang and Tom-Dariusch Allahyari and […]
Der Unfall (The Accident)
Der spanische Gastarbeiter Abél wird schwer verletzt mit eingeschlagenem Schädel in einer Baugrube gefunden. Sein Bruder Paco kommt nichtsahnend einen Tag später nach Köln. Ohne Kenntnisse der deutschen Sprache muss er sich durchschlagen und wird schnell mit Vorurteilen konfrontiert. Nachdem er vom Kriminalkommissar, der die Untersuchung leitet, über Abéls Zustand informiert wurde, versucht er selbst, […]
Homeland, Bittersweet Homeland
“Heimat, bittersuesse Heimat” (or “Homeland, Bittersweet Homeland”) is an all-black satirical theatre production that showcases real-life experiences of minorities living in a prejudiced but politically-correct society. The sketches also address cultural identity and its fluidity when the actors move smoothly from a German waltz to an African freestyle dance. While the theater group is based in […]
Geboren in Absurdistan (Born in Absurdistan)
With actors Julia Stemberger; Karl Markovics, Meltem Cumbul, Ahmet Ugurlu, Josef Hader; available on DVD Summary: In the hospital the new-born babies of an Austrian couple and a Turkish family of immigrant workers are mixed up and go home with the wrong parents. By the time the mistake comes to light, the Turkish family has […]