Unsere Fremden is a continuing story about those among us that we often fail to notice. The strangers in our community who occupy the news reports as number and statistics, but whose personal stories rarely occupy our minds.
This short film is the beginning of their story.
The tale of three characters, Sarah, Aziz and Hala whose lives collide in unexpected ways. It’s something that we hope to continue after this with your support, as part of a bigger project, a project that involves opera, film and music about the souls who are trying to make it in Germany. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it, and let us know if you wanna see more of it!
Synopsis
In a white male dominated Europe, North African Sara runs an EU emigrations office. Although raised by European parents, her appearance speaks of her heritage and threatens her position and office. Unknown to Sara, her past catches up with her in the form of her ex-husband Azis. He and his girlfriend, Syrian refugee Hala are both seeking asylum, a choice that rests solely in Sara’s hands.
Sara, shocked seeing him again, decides to grant Hala’s request but denies that of Azis. Although Sara takes revenge on Azis, she also breaks up a family - Hala is pregnant.
Directors’ Statement
The question I ask myself is, “what are we willing to do to be accepted in a foreign country?”.
Does a part of us, an old self, have to die for us to belong? When do we fit in? Is it when we renounce our background and our heritage? Or when we adopt the identity and norms of the country in which we find ourselves?
It begs the question, when is one finally integrated? When one speaks the language? When you betray your own? Are the children born on foreign soil, immigrants’ children or 1st generation native europeans?
With the 2015 wave of immigrants into Europe we now see a new generation of intercultural self hate and lack of identity. Is home wherever the heart is or when this heart can speak 3 languages and pays European taxes. A question we won't be able to answer unless we keep telling these stories.
After WWI and WWII millions of people were displaced away from Europe into the Americas and the UK. Now we see a world where there’s a struggle for Europe. Europe is changing whether it wants to or not. The Stories of the individuals shaping and affecting that change is both exciting and essential to the narrative in 2021.
--Neil Barry Moss
