“I chose this film because I believe that love is love, and everyone should be free to be who they want to be and to love whomever they want.”
“The film addresses situations similar to my own experiences on the journey from Afghanistan to Germany. I want to show what people are willing to endure in order to escape a terrible situation.”
“This music video is about God. God “washed all away my sins.” The song inspired me to make a new beginning and carries a very deep message. The musician is a gospel singer and pastor, and I’ve been listening to his music for many years.”
“In our documentary, we focus on the Hazara people in Afghanistan. The Hazara are a large ethnic group that has faced discrimination and genocide for many years. This film portrays just one of the genocides they have been subjected to.”
When I woke up to the thunder of explosions on the first day of the war, my first thought was, “Aren’t we going to school?” Within minutes, I got my answer as the news of the Russian attack spread across all media. A month later, I arrived in Germany and needed support more than ever […]
“This documentary shows how the traditional carnival festival is experienced each year in Cajamarca. On a historical journey, we explore the origins of this colorful folk celebration, which has become a symbol of the region’s cultural identity. The documentary focuses on several core elements: the vibrant music that accompanies every event, the rich gastronomy that […]
“Every year, I choose to create my own short films. For me, it’s a form of self-expression and gives me the chance to tell stories from my own experiences, exactly as I lived them. This year, I’m presenting a story about how fear influences our decisions—and how we can lose ourselves if we don’t listen […]
“Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in the short film “Shahid”, which my wife Shadia and I selected for the Kino Asyl Festival. My wife, our daughter Waltraud, and I had a small role in the film, but the experience was wonderful and unique. The team was extremely professional, and the atmosphere was so […]
“The film Asho deals with children’s rights in Iran and the fate of children whose parents separate. In the case of separation, custody is granted to the father. Women have no rights in this regard and often lose their children. The film portrays the deep trauma many women suffer from being separated from their own […]
“In our documentary, we tell the story of two young adults from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) who have been close friends since childhood. The war forced them to leave their homeland and separated their paths. Now, they face the challenges of displacement and are trying to build a new life in villages in Armenia. Despite the separation, […]
I want to show this film because I have seen many people wasting food with their money. This is a problem that exists all over the world. Rich people party, poor people die. I want to raise awareness about this.
“The Congo has been torn apart by violence for over 35 years. The Congolese people have been subjected to massacres for more than two decades, while the international community, faced with national and international impotence, stands idly by. My country is being systematically plundered by people who claim to be our leaders! Almost half of […]
We are living in the year 2023. The world appears open-minded and enlightened—or at least it seems that way. Millions of people from other countries live among us, trying to find their path, fulfill their dreams, and develop professionally. But doing so as a refugee is anything but easy. The short film “Inside the Box” […]
“People Power, Our Power – The Revolution Will Be Televised: While the wind of change blows through Uganda, East Africa, a revolution is unfolding on television with the rise of Bobi Wine – the pop star turned politician who seeks to end Uganda’s long and brutal dictatorship. This documentary follows the inspiring activism of Bobi […]
“This is a story about five friends. They have their own special meeting spot. When one of them volunteers to go to the front and another plans to leave the country illegally, they decide to meet there one last time. At their spot, they laugh, argue, and talk about serious matters. But one thing always […]
“My current documentary is 19 minutes long and portrays three people from different countries who fled to Germany. They speak about the challenges they faced on their journey and in their new lives in Germany, and they express their gratitude for the opportunities they have found here. At the same time, they share their hopes […]
I chose the film “We, Our Pets and the War” by Anton Ptushkin because it addresses important aspects of the war and its impact on both people and animals. The film shows how the war has changed the lives of people and their pets by telling emotional stories of forced change. If the film’s core […]
“I chose the film “The Game” because it shows how differently children grow up in Uganda. Some are lucky enough to grow up in a loving family, while others are forced to live on the streets and take care of themselves. The Game highlights the harsh life of street children. I had the privilege of […]
“Parvana is an 11-year-old girl living in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in 2001. After her father is unjustly arrested, Parvana cuts her hair and dresses as a boy in order to support her family. Alongside a friend, she soon discovers a new world filled with both freedom and danger. Empowered by the fantastic stories she creates, Parvana […]
When Art Becomes a Message. As always, we talk about the war—but no one listens. That’s why today, we listen with feeling. Through music, one can express the soul.
“I chose this film because the story reflects my own life. The boys (actors) in the film decide to deceive others. Some of them are homeless or orphans who grew up without parental care and in difficult circumstances. This led them to make poor career choices, such as turning to fraud. That’s why my friends […]
“I am very pleased to present the film Standing Free, which holds special meaning for me. The film was made by a close friend of mine, a Canadian director with Ukrainian roots. The documentary follows Max, a Ukrainian-Canadian teenager who travels through the war-torn country after his family home was destroyed by Russian forces. It […]
Lingua Franca tells the story of a marriage of convenience—a strategy used to obtain legal residency in the United States or Europe. Faced with rigid immigration laws, many migrants struggle to secure their livelihoods and escape postcolonial power structures. At the same time, a market for sham marriages is thriving, leaving individuals vulnerable to abuse […]
The film portrays our life in Germany. It’s true that we never want to go back, but still, we miss our homeland. That’s what homesickness means to us. Home is not just a country—it’s also our house, our belongings, our friends, and our family.
How can one live normally without war – and how can one live during war? This film is based on a true story. It tells the story of a family that lived through the war in Yemen. The parents try to provide a normal life for their children despite the ongoing conflict. But unfortunately, it’s […]
The film “Bad Dreams” was directed by a young filmmaker from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Arnold Ghazaryan (born in 2001), shortly after the 44-day war in 2020. Despite the constant fear for their lives and the psychological terror caused by the blockade—which cut 120,000 Armenians off from the outside world for nearly 10 months and triggered a […]
This year, I want to present the film My Name is Hand by director Khadem Hussain Behnam. I chose this film because I find the theme very interesting. The hand is the focus: what can you do with a hand? Something good or something bad… The director released this film in Germany this year. – […]
“The story is based on the poetic play “The Forest Song” by the poet Lesya Ukrainka and is inspired by Ukrainian and Slavic folk mythology. This animated film is a great way to understand what is good and what is bad, what responsibility and love mean. My child really enjoyed this cartoon, and I wanted […]
No matter what religion – we are all human beings. This film deals with violence, inequality, and power, which I find incredibly disturbing. Through this film, I want to draw attention to the issue. It’s important to me to make the audience think. I’m looking forward to discussing the film and its themes with the […]
This year, we want to present a new, self-made film. The film addresses the struggles of refugees and how difficult it is for them to find their path. It focuses on pushbacks, which have become more severe over the past 3–4 years. Hardly anyone manages to make it across the route between Turkey and Greece. […]
I want to present the film “The Swimmers” because it truly touched my heart. My own experiences during my escape were very similar. A friend recommended the film to me, and when I watched it, I knew right away that it was the right choice for KINO ASYL. Even though the film was shot in […]
My daughter and I are very grateful to Germany for everything. With my screenplay, I wanted to show war through the eyes of a child who perceives everything differently, as well as the great hopes of this little girl. Children are our future, and we want to give them the best. The second message is […]
A boy who spends his childhood on the streets of Kabul repeatedly escapes into the fantastical world of Bollywood films. By selling movie tickets on the black market, he eventually gets caught by the authorities and is sent to an orphanage. Although he has to leave his life on the streets behind and life in […]
The film tells the story of a young man who fled the war in Yemen, only to be confronted with a new war inside his own mind. The question remains: can he escape once again?
“I left Uganda and moved to Denmark to start a new life. And then I left Denmark and my job there as well to start over once again, because my family couldn’t accept that I’m queer. I mean, that’s exactly what “The Night I Left America” is about: making the hardest decisions.”
“I want to show this film because the topic is very important to me. Like the main character in the film, I am also an actress. Since coming to Germany, I have only been able to truly be one. If I had stayed in Afghanistan, I would be in a similar situation as the woman […]
“Tataatay Nder” means “Tuesday of Nder” in Wolof. On Tuesday, March 7, 1820, the women of Nder, a village of the Linguères (queens) in the wealthy province of Walo, took up arms to fight against oppression. They set themselves on fire to escape slavery, thus fighting for their freedom and dignity. A political tribute to […]
The documentary shows the search and rescue operation for people fleeing who dare to take the route from North Africa across the Mediterranean to Europe. VICE News collaborated with Doctors Without Borders to document this rescue operation and to speak with rescued refugees. This film provides insight both into the work of the organization and […]
In the short film, director Inzamam Jala shows the perspective of a young Taliban member who is armed with a suicide belt and ordered to carry out an attack in his city. However, when confronted with the realities of the lives of his fellow people, he begins to doubt the Taliban’s plan. “Jihad – A […]
In this short film, the filmmaker criticizes forced marriage in Afghanistan. It is about a young woman (Binazeer) who was forced by her father to marry an old man. However, Binazeer’s mother was not asked for permission and is now trying to save her daughter with her own tricks.
This film is based on Manijeh Hekmat’s extensive field research among female prisoners in Iran. It depicts the life of Iran’s lost generation over the two decades since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, using the claustrophobic life of women behind bars as a metaphor for society as a whole. Its protagonist, Mitra, is in prison because […]
A children’s film program for kids aged 6 and up. In this program, the professor and his student experiment with the most exciting topics in physics. They are helped by the talented physicist Schangin from Syria. The professor refreshes his physics knowledge, while his student struggles with very different problems. The children can expect a […]
Marjane is eight years old when the Shah is overthrown in Iran and the mullahs seize power. Progress and freedom are lost as thousands end up in prison during the Islamic Revolution, and women are forced to wear headscarves. But rebellious Marjane has no intention of submitting to the strict rules. Instead, she discovers punk, […]
This documentary was compiled from videos and short films that people recorded with their smartphones and anonymously shared on digital platforms during recent demonstrations in Iran. The film also includes clips from news reports, interviews, political and social events, as well as footage from the human rights parliament.
The drama from Ethiopia tells the story of a wealthy businessman who tries to buy a farmer’s land for his factory. However, the farmer is only willing to agree once she is sure that the businessman will treat the land well and not abuse it out of greed. The conflict over the land between the […]
On September 27, 2020, there was another escalation at the border between Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Azerbaijan. Hundreds of soldiers and peaceful civilians once again became victims of the conflict. This war is a huge polarity, with soldiers on one side risking their lives to protect what is most valuable to them, and on the other […]
This film is about Ukrainians, made by Ukrainians for Ukrainians. It shows the Ukrainian mentality without fear of hiding it. The film raises the theme of parents and children. You can empathize with both sides. The mother of the main character is a typical Ukrainian woman in her 40s. She has no luck in life, […]
The children play their childhood games together as a family under one roof. Until a terrorist enters the room and destroys all their ideas and aspirations, influencing the spirit of each of them and leaving a negative impression. In short: The terrorists in Afghanistan take the children’s smiles hostage and instead paint images of war […]
In this film, we show different generations of Ukrainians who have survived difficult times and fought for the independence of our country.
On Sunday, September 27, 2020, the war began. We had just started our first semester in journalism. For the newcomers, it was not easy to gain their first professional experiences amid the war. It was also difficult to follow events from afar. We decided to travel to Artsakh. After several failed attempts, we finally succeeded […]
For many years, Iran has been a refuge for refugees from Afghanistan. War, human rights violations, and the power of the Taliban make a dignified life in their own country hopeless. Many Afghans therefore flee into exile to protect their children and somehow survive. But in Iran, they face many other problems. This documentary film […]
In this series, the curator himself plays the main roles. The series “Between Me & You” tells the story of two brothers from Afghanistan. One has just returned from France with many new ideas, while the other works as a serious criminal defense lawyer in their homeland. The series fulfills an educational mission by informing […]
“Cluster” is a Palestinian drama that simulates real stories during the war and siege of Gaza in 2014. The series was newly released in 2020. The message of the series is: Gaza deserves life, and the Palestinian is a human being seeking life and, despite the brutality and tyranny of the occupation, does not give […]
The film is about a girl living alone who struggles with mental health issues. When one of her neighbors enters her lonely life, she is able to take the first step toward a “normal life.”
In a small Russian village lives Gulchatay. The girl is only 17 years old; she dreams of becoming a nurse and helping people. One day, the heroine meets the charming Pavel—a Russian soldier from a military unit—and love blossoms between them. But at that very moment, Rustam, the son of the “village owner,” the influential […]
The biography of an Iranian refugee woman in Germany whose asylum application is rejected. The court considers her recognition as entitled to asylum and her refugee status as extinguished. The reality of a helpless woman who pays the price for her politics and nationality.
The film shows a group of young Iranian mountain bikers who dream of becoming world-class riders but face social and financial constraints on this path. Although the film focuses on a small group of young people, it reflects the search for joy and excitement in the everyday life of an entire generation.
Three women who have been friends since childhood struggle with harsh working conditions, unfair pay, and sexism on a rose plantation. The flower industry in Uganda is known for paying meager wages to hard-working people. This film provides insight into the flower industry and puts the rose as a gesture of love into a completely […]
In a mix of documentary and keynote, Mahdi shows footage from his homeland that could no longer be reproduced today. Since the Taliban returned to power, large parts of the population live in fear. The unfulfilled desire for freedom has become everyday life for many again. Mahdi wants to show his audience the Afghanistan that […]
After a hard day of work, Majid sits on the couch. He wants to relax, but a flood of news flows through his apartment, all the speakers, and his thoughts…
I am showing this film because it is important to me to tell people in Germany that many people in Africa die from diseases simply because they have no money. Unlike here, there is no health insurance for everyone—meaning those without money die anyway. I find it sad that people die from all kinds of […]
Mujtabah Mirzai is an Afghan boy who fled to Germany in 2001 when the Taliban were in power in Afghanistan. After completing training as a stonemason in Germany, he was able to return to Afghanistan through UNESCO (World Heritage) to restore the Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban.
Mbacke has lived in Germany since 2015. Born and raised in poverty, he left his family and homeland in Senegal to seek work and thus a future. In a short interview, he talks about the dangers of the journey, his hopes, and his fears. The short documentary about Mbacke’s journey shows that fleeing is not […]
For Rona, happiness means being there for her own children. Unfortunately, this desire for a harmonious family life is not so easy to realize. The family must flee. Misfortunes drive the peace-seeking family into a profound crisis. The son Azim tries to hold together the shaky foundations of the family.
After the Taliban took power, thousands of widows and single women in Afghanistan face an insurmountable problem: how are they supposed to earn a living if they are only allowed to leave the house accompanied by male relatives? A mother decides to disguise her 12-year-old daughter as a boy so that she can accompany her […]
In the documentary series “Ax û Welat,” viewers get to know a different village in each episode. This episode focuses on the Kurdish region of Ciyaye Kurmenc (Afrin) in northwest Syria. It is characterized by mountains, hills, the Avrin River, and numerous historical sites
The film deals with important social issues through the eyes of Iman, a young Afghan man who has fled to Germany. When he receives bad news from his mother in Afghanistan, he tries everything he can to help her from Germany. However, it is impossible for him to earn money legally in his new home […]
The war film tells the story of a group of women who stand up against ISIS. Zara, a young Yazidi woman, manages to escape from slave traders. To fight back, she joins a group of female fighters in the Kurdish resistance.
The film is about two siblings living with their mother in a poor neighborhood of Cairo. The 22-year-old Saqr wants to leave the dirty tannery district in Egypt where he lives and works. His sister Taheya, six years older, wants to prevent this at all costs. She sabotages the budding romance between her brother and […]
With this film, the director speaks for many refugees who are full of hope for a better life. To escape the bitter reality, they set out on a journey to Europe by crossing the sea. However, many of them have become victims of drowning.
The film shows a brief glimpse into the reality of a family in the middle of the war. The entire situation is reflected through the eyes of a child.
Boda Bodas are motorcycle taxis in Kampala that are also used to transport goods. When Abel’s father becomes incapacitated in a traffic accident, the 15-year-old has to take over the vehicle to secure his family’s livelihood. However, the new job is not without risks. Besides the taxi drivers, there are also those who snatch valuables […]
The documentary tells the story of the young Afghan immigrant Ali Korosh, who has been living in Germany for 5 years. Although he faces many problems himself, he makes a film about the problems of Afghan refugees. “Imaginary Paradise” is Matin Ahmadie’s second film, made in collaboration with 3M Filmstudio, Navak Media, and KinoAsyl.
Baye Laye is the captain of a small fishing boat. Many of his countrymen have already left Senegal to build a better life in Europe. His brother Abou also dreams of establishing a music career there and convinces Baye Laye to be the captain of the Pirogue, a simple fishing boat. Together with 30 other […]
The documentary by ARTE is about Africans who do not embark on the daring and dangerous journey to Europe. Instead, they look for well-paid work within Africa.
Bidune Kai (Undocumented) is the first Arabic interactive digital miniseries that allows viewers to decide the course of the story. They have the opportunity to view the same events from different perspectives. Bidune Kai (Undocumented) is the first interactive digital mini-series (Digi Novella) in Arabic, giving viewers the freedom to engage in the storytelling trajectory […]
For his documentary “Ghost Hunting,” Read Andoni seeks former prisoners of Al-Moskobiya, Israel’s main interrogation center, so that they can reenact their experiences of torture and imprisonment through a role-playing game.
The short film shows Samira, a young woman from a village in Afghanistan, on her first date in London. There she meets an Afghan man who was born in London. Although they share the same culture, they were raised very differently.
The sitcom “CULTURE SHOCK,” produced by UNSER.Film, depicts the various everyday situations of a group of friends, each coming from a different part of the world. This often leads to misunderstandings.
The young couple Rasha and Ma’moon want to get married, but the war of 2015 stands in their way. After all the suffering, they want the wedding to take place in 2018. However, they face numerous obstacles caused by the aftermath of the war. A race against time begins to overcome these hurdles in time […]
A film about our festival. A kind of making-of for KINO ASYL. This film is much more than that. It is primarily about our curators, who came to Germany by inhumane and complicated routes. They brought with them little more than a piece of their culture and their own biography. Once in Germany, they present […]
The young boy Sahadat has his electricity cut off after his father sees that he watches too much TV. Together with his friend Jalil, he sets out to find a new power source, through which we learn a lot about the everyday life of children in rural Afghanistan. “I want to show the film ‘Sahadat […]
A traditional Afghan story told as an animated film. The mother goat leaves her kids behind to get food. This, in turn, interests the wolf, who is also hungry. Watch children’s program
Rostam is on the run. This film shows without words what it feels like to travel as an undocumented person and to leave everything behind—his family, his childhood, and his life so far. He is not sure if he will reach his destination. Although his family was against it, he decided to do it as […]
Ahmet, a young single father, and his 9-year-old daughter Rozerîn have immigrated from Turkey to Germany and are building a new life here. Ahmet does his best to give Rozerîn a cheerful childhood. However, their lives are marked by the painful absence of Rozerîn’s mother. On the anniversary of her death, father and daughter want […]
The documentary is about the liberation of the Persian Gulf, the independence of Iran, and the discussion about a possible new name for the “Persian Gulf.”
Back at the scene of his childhood in Northern Mesopotamia, the author learns that the entire region will be submerged by the waters of the largest dam on the Euphrates in Syria. The filmmaker sets out on location to capture the final images of the valley and everyday life in the villages he knew and […]
Emi fled in 2001 at the age of 14 through partly dark paths from the Kurdish northern Iraq to Bavaria, where he was initially cared for in a home in Paris. The film was made 12 years later. During this time, Bavaria became his home. In the film “Back to the Beginning” by director Frank […]
After the civil war, Abdullah and Selma flee from Syria to Turkey. After a short time, they decide to continue fleeing to Germany. To do so, they must make a deal with a human smuggler. The two young Syrians have to save hard to survive somehow.
“Flight from Fear” is a story about an Afghan filmmaker who is making a documentary about Afghan refugees in Germany. During the filming, he receives a call from his wife in Kabul.
We present — also for the first time translated into German — the final episode of the very popular Syrian TV series “Four Seasons.” It was first broadcast in 2002 and has been frequently repeated since. The series focuses on the everyday life of a family from Damascus and the familial bonds among its members. […]
Probably the boldest series from Syria. We present the first episode, specially subtitled in German for this evening. The drama centers on Ward, a screenwriter living in Damascus. After a series of events, she ends up in a political detention center. Her life is completely destroyed. The film portrays the crisis in Syria and its […]
The fishing village has been shrouded in a strange fog for ages. Neither sacrifices nor prayers can end this curse. Mbanick, the son of the dying Marabut, dares to challenge the spirits and returns the sun to the village. Afterwards, Mbanick can confess his love to Maxoy. His best friend and rival, Yatma, is furious […]
For children with heart conditions, receiving medical treatment in Afghanistan is difficult. In this family drama, Hassan runs a charitable lottery organization that helps provide treatment abroad for affected children from poor families.
A film about our festival. A kind of making-of for KINO ASYL. This film is much more than that. It primarily focuses on our curators who came to Germany through inhumane and complicated paths, carrying little more than a piece of their culture and their personal biography. Having arrived in Germany, they present films from […]
In the 1970s, the Aryub Cinema was the most elegant movie theater in Kabul. Those were times of freedom and joy, which were swept away by civil war and tyranny. Only thanks to the old projectionist Naser did the Aryub survive amid the destruction. A group of young students decides to support the cinephiles and […]
A traditional Afghan story told as an animated film. The mother goat leaves her kids behind to get food. This, in turn, interests the wolf, who is also hungry.
The short film depicts the daily life of five-year-old Saadat, and a lot happens… watch for yourself what he experiences besides washing himself with stones and drinking dogh.
The videos shown are contributions from the Afghan TV channel “Ariana Television.” In the first video, children are interviewed about their work on the street. The second interview shows a child talking about their family. Both videos are very moving. In the last video, people on the street are asked funny questions.
Jarck Boy is a reggae, dancehall, and Afropop singer/songwriter from SeneGambia and a member of the KINO ASYL team.
The sitcom depicts a variety of everyday situations within a circle of friends, each coming from a different corner of the world. This often leads to misunderstandings.
The name says it all: It’s about a taxi driver, his daily life, and what he experiences every day with his passengers. A very popular series from Ghana.
A film plea for humanity.
It is 2014 and the election campaign is in full swing in Kabul. The current military officer and former president Najibfardi is running against his challenger. Meanwhile, during a taxi ride, a heated discussion breaks out between Hassan Ali and Akha Shirin about who is the best candidate. The election is marked by great chaos: […]
Who am I? This is a question I could never answer myself. But when I think about it, my identity has changed a lot during the transitions in my life.
Omid, an Afghan refugee in Germany, is waiting for the decision on his asylum application.
The documentary tells the story of the girl Nvjvanyst, who became a victim of war and poverty. Her father died in the war and her mother was forced to marry another man. The stepfather treats her badly, and she has to leave her homeland “Herat” and goes alone to war-torn Kabul. Due to the lack […]
Pod et Marichou is a very well-known series in Senegal and Gambia featuring very famous actors. The series is broadcast both on YouTube and on television and is very successful.
The documentary deals with the civil war in Syria. Director Talal Derki follows two friends in the city of Homs from August 2011 to August 2013 who organized demonstrations against the dictatorial regime of President Bashar al-Assad. After the Syrian security forces use military force against the demonstrators, the initially pacifist friends decide to take […]
In Beirut, Syrian workers help build tall skyscrapers. Unlike in their destroyed homeland, the war in neighboring Lebanon is over and new buildings are being constructed. However, every night the construction sites are locked down because the government has imposed a curfew from 7 p.m. for all refugees.
Kabul 1970. Amir and Hassan grow up like brothers despite their very different social backgrounds. However, the young friends are soon separated by the Soviet invasion. After Amir flees to the USA, he learns as an adult about Hassan’s death and feels compelled by the circumstances to return to his homeland.
The film tells the true story of an Afghan family that fled to Iran because of the war in Afghanistan. The focus is on eight-year-old Meena, who wants to go to school to become a doctor. However, this dream seems impossible to achieve due to the laws in Iran. Her father Ferhad tries, through sacrifice, […]
The director Ma’an Mouslli has been living in Germany for four years and fled Syria himself. The idea of the film is that the director asks only one question, and the people in front of the camera are allowed to tell their stories. Some people answered this question for up to three hours.
Iraq was a devastated country in the early 1990s. When we think of Iraq, war and Saddam Hussein come to mind first. One region, Kurdistan, was subjected to particularly heavy pressure by the regime at the time. “Bekas” tells the story of two homeless boys who make a living as shoeshiners. When they catch a […]
The Syrian refugee Fareed wants to bury his deceased wife according to Muslim customs and struggles against bureaucracy and narrow-mindedness in a Swiss village.
A student from Kabul is insulted by a man on her way back from university. When her brother accidentally overhears the argument, a discussion arises among the three about the role and the “bad” behavior of women. The student then challenges her brother to live for a day in women’s clothes to understand her better.
Jarck Boy is a reggae, dancehall, and Afropop singer-songwriter from Gambia. He presents two of his own music videos: “Ghetto Defender,” filmed in 2018 in Sukuta, Gambia, and “We Are All One,” filmed in 2018 in Munich. He talks about the background of the shoots, his homeland, and other topics related to music. His wish […]
In 2001, the Taliban blew up Buddha statues in Bamiyan, one of Afghanistan’s cultural centers. Amid the caves of the former monastery in the area, Bakhtay grows up—a girl torn between fighting local gangs of boys her age and her deep desire to find a place in a new girls’ school.
Zaatari is located in Jordan and, with around 80,000 inhabitants, is one of the largest refugee camps in the world. The documentary follows theater director Naxar Bulbul during the process of staging two Shakespeare plays with the Syrian children living there.
Born in the Kurdish region of Iraq, Alan, Jan, and Liya grow up in Stuttgart. When their single mother dies, they learn of her last wish to be buried in her home village. Together, they embark on a nerve-wracking odyssey to Iraqi Kurdistan, where they are confronted not only with their past and other relatives […]
In 2017, Somalia ranked 206th on the FIFA world football ranking. Lack of funding, poor training conditions, and the constant threat of terror from the Al-Shabaab militia hinder the professionalization of the sport. The documentary follows two Somali national players, Sadaq Mohamud and Sa’ad Hussein, on their difficult journey to becoming professional footballers.
Kabul 1970. Amir and Hassan grow up like brothers despite their very different social backgrounds. However, the young friends are soon separated by the Soviet invasion. After Amir flees to the USA, he learns as an adult about Hassan’s death and feels compelled by the circumstances to return to his homeland.
The short documentary tells the story of aging, youth, change, and ultimately the big word “life.” It is a cross-section in many respects. In the 31 minutes, there is much to discover and little to miss.
A night of heavy drinking in Munich. By chance, the paths of the two protagonists cross several times. Where will it lead them?
In the film “Documenters,” the Syrian actor Jihad Abdo plays the role of the hero. The film focuses on the events surrounding the Syrian crisis. Activists want to show the world what is happening in Syria through web videos. But then the government bans the publication of these videos…
In this action thriller, an Afghan special forces team hunts down corrupt members of the local mafia. Their pursuit takes them from Kabul all the way to the far north of the country. Despite significant obstacles, the team remains determined to complete the mission.
This music film from Sierra Leone tells the story of two married women. Mammah Saylah suffers greatly as one of them from the fact that she has not yet given birth to a child. The related discrimination she experiences comes both from her husband and, among others, from the son of the other woman. Despite […]
Dozens of migrants board an overcrowded truck. Their destination: Fortress Europe. After a arduous journey, when they finally arrive, they face a confrontation with a different brutal reality: Europe’s treatment of refugees.
This music film from Sierra Leone tells the story of two married women. Mammah Saylah suffers greatly as one of them because she has not yet given birth to a child. She experiences related discrimination both from her husband and, among others, from the son of the other woman. Despite all these circumstances, her precarious […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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..
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.
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?
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.
This film from Sierra Leone deals with the problem of the early marriage of Aminata, the only daughter of poor parents. She is eager to go to school and get a Western education, but in her village only Islamic education is allowed for girls. At the age of 14, she is forced to marry the […]
The film tells a very poetic story about a girl in shattered Afghanistan who must navigate new freedoms and old restrictions after the Taliban regime.
Film series of the IG – Initiativegruppe e.V.
Today is the last day in Satché’s life. Although he is strong and healthy, he accepts his impending death. He walks through the streets of his hometown in Senegal, perceiving the past as if seeing it for the first time: his childhood home, his first love, childhood friends, wife, and children. He repeatedly hears the […]
“My Beloved Country” is a film by Eunice that attempts to carefully explain the history of her country. She tries to show the many ills that plague her country. However, the movie not only shows the problems but also offers solutions, which is what makes this movie so worth watching. Her criticism stems from her […]
This documentary tells the story of the Syrian city of Rakka on the banks of the Euphrates. As in most places in the world where people suffer from war, the people of Rakka dream of a life of peace and justice – two important things they have lacked for many years under the rule of […]
“Dancing Arabs” is the story of a young Palestinian’s liberation from all the political restrictions of his environment. He fights for love, equality and peaceful coexistence. The film shows his needs and, in a dramatic and comic way, the real drama of his reality. Between political and social considerations, love and peace win out.
The title of the film “Dewenti” means “Greetings for the Festival” in Wolof (a language spoken in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania). The short film tells the story of young Ousmane, a Talibe (a Quranic student), who is sent daily by his teacher into the streets of Dakar to beg for alms. He devises a strategy […]
A historically true account of a significant period of the Kingdom of Ségou, which encompassed a large part of present-day Mail between the 17th and 19th centuries. After the death of King N’Gola Diarra, the founder of the Diarra dynasty in Ségou, a fierce struggle ensued over his succession to the throne. His children fought […]
