In cooperation with Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF) and The Madras Film Society

Fatih Akin is one of the most well-known film directors, screenwriter and producer in Germany. In his films the lives of German Turks are a recurring theme, such as struggles and their confusion about two different cultures. We will show three of his most famous films, “Head on”, “The Edge of Heaven” and “In July”.

Head on (German title: Gegen die Wand)

Dir: Fatih Akin | 2004 / 121 min.

Cahit is a Turkish German in his 40s who has no interest in Turkish traditions. He has given up on live after his wife died. In psychiatric clinic he meets the young Sibel – Turkish German like Cahit - after they both tried to suicide. To escape from the prison of her devout, conservative family, Sibel asks Cahit to carry out a formal marriage with her – and Cahit agrees. After they married they share an apartment but Sibel lives an independent life and Cahit has his occasional fling with his sometime girlfriend. Until they fall in love. But by now it is too late: an explosion of jealousy ends in a violent death. Cahit is sent to jail and Sibel flees to Turkey. One year later, Cahit releases from prison. He travels to Istanbul to find Sibel who has started a new life…

The Edge of Heaven (German title: Auf der anderen Seite)

Dir: Fatih Akin | 2006/07 / 120 min.

Fatih Akin connects the fates of six people in this movie. They all have to deal with death, immigration, prostitution and family problems:

There is the German Professor Nejat who takes care of his dad Ali Aksu, a Turkish immigrant living in Bremen. Ali decides to choose prostitute Yeter for a live-in girlfriend. After Yeter’s sudden death Nejat travels to Istanbul to search for Yeters daughter Ayten. But political activiste Ayten has fled the Turkish police and is already in Germany. She meets the German student Lotte who wants to free herself from her conservative mother Susanne. When Ayten is arrested and deported in Turkey, Lotte travels to Turkey and tries to free Ayten…

In July (German title: Im Juli)

Dir: Fatih Akin, Farbe| 2002 / 95 min.

Daniel, a young physics teacher wouldn′t see happiness if it hit him in the face! But his drab existence as a teacher is about to change. He meets the beautiful Turkish girl called Melek and falls in love with her. When she goes to Turkey, Daniel decides to follow her. He sets out for the long trip from Hamburg to Istanbul together with his crazy friend July, who has always secretly worshipped Daniel. On this wild odyssey through south-eastern Europe he will discover a new self.

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