TAGLINE
»Home is what I am, and who I am.«
LOGLINE
In his quest for stability, an introverted young Syrian refugee gets in with the wrong crowd. His deep sense of loyalty and his urgent need to belong nearly cause him to be sent back to the war zone. But with the help of true friends he learns to act upon his own values and to stand up for himself, finding »home« within his true identity.
Synopsis
Dabbour (25), a Syrian refugee, feels out of place in Germany. Haunted by horrible memories of war and flight, he only finds solace in spending time with the pigeons on the streets. They remind him of the treasured flock of prized pigeons he had to leave behind. His childhood friend Yasser, who fled with him to Berlin, seems to have succeeded in finding a new home: he has joined a group of immigrants from their German language course. However, Yasser’s new friends make their living dealing drugs in Berlin subway stations. When police officer Anna starts to monitor the gang more closely, making their business-transactions difficult, Yasser tries to pressure Dabbour into joining the gang as well. He wants Dabbour to use his talents as a »pigeon whisperer« and get stray pigeons to transport drugs for them. Dabbour is forced to choose between his loyalty to his friend – and the promise of a new »family« – and his wish to become a righteous member of German society. For while this strange, rule-oriented country still feels extremely foreign to Dabbour, his budding love for his German language teacher Zara makes him want to work hard to stay in Germany. Dabbour decides to help Yasser and his friends – but only as a »one-time job«. The operation goes well, but when Dabbour tries to leave the gang, they tempt him to stay by offering him money. Unwittingly making the wrong choices again and again, Dabbour sinks further and further into the world of crime. Will love save him from being deported?
Writers’ Lab Project: Sager – Desert Hero
(Animated children’s series, 8 x 22 minutes)
Saqer (10) is a geek. The school’s macho boys take advantage of his small size and bully him. But Saqer has got special skills: he’s a chemistry genius. Because he cannot pick a fight with the big boys, Saqer uses his smarts and tricks to challenge them. Sometimes he even tells them ghost stories to try to scare them away. But seeing himself as an aspiring scientist, he himself of course doesn’t believe in these stories.
That is, until … one day Saqer cannot believe his own eyes – or rather his ears: He meets a talking desert fox! Baffled, Saqer discovers that in the desert, next to his school, there’s an entire hidden world. And in this world the desert fox, a super natural creature called Efrit, frequently receives quests from a Mini-Jinn. And, Efrit tells him, the most urgent and important quest the fox has received is to go to the world of the humans and to find the one who would save them from Werehyena and his villain tribe who are trying to destroy the hidden world.
Being the super natural creature he is, of course Efrit has found that person already. However, there’s just a small thing: the earthling is a small boy named Saqer. After a bit of culture shock in both directions, Saqer and Efrit team up: Through thick and thin Efrit helps Saqer deal with the bullies at school, and Saqer helps Efrit ward off the evil Werehyena.
