We are very happy to welcome you to the second KINO ASYL Festival! This year, shaped by our different life stories and cultural backgrounds, we’ve had the wonderful opportunity to learn so much from one another. We come from different parts of the world and have arrived in Germany for many different reasons — all in search of a place we can call home. What unites us is the shared hope of finding that home right here.
Even though we haven’t been living in Munich for long, we already feel how vibrant and diverse the city’s cultural life is. We want to learn more about what makes Munich and its people so special. Many of you have already given us a lot — now we would like to give something back: Something of our culture, our stories, and our hearts.
KINO ASYL gives us the chance to bring our home countries closer to you — in ways that surprise, inspire, and move. We want to show you the beauty, the diversity, and the vibrant life of the cultures and people of our countries of origin — countries that may be geographically far away, but feel very close to our hearts. Our goal is to show a different, more diverse picture of these countries — one that goes beyond conflict and clichés.
We are deeply grateful that KINO ASYL exists. This project not only gives us the opportunity to share our stories, but also to grow together and support one another as we build our lives in Germany. Our past has shaped us — and made us the unique individuals we are today. That’s why it brings us great joy to connect and exchange with you.
We sincerely hope you enjoy the festival with us. On behalf of all KINO ASYL curators, we warmly invite you to join us on a journey — a journey that shows you who we are, where we come from, and what we want to share with you.
Buzakshi Boys tells the story of two best friends. Rafi, the son of a blacksmith, and Ahmad, a street boy, share a close friendship and a love for the traditional equestrian game Buzkashi. Together, they try to balance their dreams and responsibilities to find personal happiness in a war-torn Afghanistan.
The film tells the story of a young couple in love. Joury is carried on the hands of her beloved, even though he sometimes drives her to the brink of madness. So, just an everyday love story?
Aref Mohebi tells the story of an old man who mourns the death of his wife in his own unique way. Using the simplest cinematic means, he paints an authentic picture of rural life in Afghanistan.
Amanio is an ambitious young woman who is committed to social causes. Her boyfriend Muganga is a hardworking and equally daring young man who wants to achieve something in his life. A car accident turns their lives upside down..
In a country torn apart by war, a thirty-year-old woman watches over her older husband. A bullet to his neck has left him in a coma. After years under his control, without her own voice, one day the woman decides to say things she never could before, even though they had been married for ten […]
Sonita is 18 years old, from Afghanistan, and lives as an undocumented migrant in Iran. Her dream is to have a career as a rapper. She hopes to escape her family’s plan to sell her to an unknown husband. The Iranian director Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami followed Sonita Alizadeh for three years and documented her story.
A Syrian poet and an Italian journalist help five Syrian and Palestinian refugees, who, after arriving in Lampedusa, want to get from Milan to Stockholm without being arrested by the authorities. They decide to fake a wedding because “nobody (…) would check a wedding procession.” So, with the help of a young Syrian woman who […]
QAB iyo IIL is a short film about the civil war, set in a sleepy town in Somalia. It focuses on the story of Guuleed, an aging man who refuses to be part of the warfare of a far-reaching clan.
A Stitch in Time tells the story of six young people from Sierra Leone who are infected with the deadly Ebola virus. Three of them do not believe that Ebola exists. The other three do believe it but are confused due to misinformation, pressure from their surroundings, and cultural practices. Interwoven is the story of […]
Every day, 6,000 girls from the Horn of Africa to south of the Sahara undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). With limited resources but great passion and deep love for their communities, courageous African activists lead a difficult and fearless fight to put an end to 5,000 years of FGM.
This episode of the popular series The Lost Village depicts a group of French journalists stirring up unrest in a small Syrian village. The neighbors are very jealous of each other and want the journalists all to themselves. France/Paris also plays an important role in the series’ reenactment, which is filmed by two Syrian refugees […]
