The children of divorced parents, the German-born kids live with their mother. In addition to the absence of their father, their lives have been affected by another bitter experience: in 2003, the entire family was deported back to their “homeland” of Lebanon. They returned to Berlin soon after, but since then their presence is merely officially “tolerated”, they have no actual residency permit, and their provisional permit will soon expire. They live in constant fear of deportation and the loss of the place that they consider to be their home. It is almost inevitable that this pressure leads to tensions within the family: Hassan, who wants to sit his school-leaving exam, is happy to assume the role of head of the family, a situation that his sister Lial sometimes finds hard to accept; Maradona, a gifted but vulnerable young man, has been suspended from school numerous times. Faced with these issues, dance and music act like an anchor in their lives, perhaps the only things they have to look forward to, even if some of their ambitions initially prove to be nothing more than an illusion.
In their documentary film, Agostino Imondi and Dietmar Ratsch have bonded closely with their protagonists; you can sense the affection, and above all the mutual trust. The editing may at times seem a little impulsive and the sequences might not always be obviously structured, but more crucially, the film corresponds to the rhythm of these young people’s life and culture. NEUKÖLLN UNLIMITED also serves an informative purpose in a number of different ways. In a series of discussions and meetings which always seem to revolve around money, their difficult legal position is made clear, as is the emotional and economic pressure which those in this situation must cope with. After all, the authorities require proof of financial independence in order to grant residency.
The filmmakers never try to make easy generalisations, instead they focus single-mindedly, yet with total sympathy, on their “case study”; this ensures the accuracy of their work. “Our film is meant to show people living in specific circumstances which are particularly affected by the contradictions of our times. Migration to Europe isn’t a marginal problem, it’s actually one of the greatest challenges facing Western Europe. There aren’t any simple solutions. We want to tell the story of individuals who are trying to find their way through the minefield of these developments, constraints and interests within society.” (Agostino Imondi)
The film was shown at the Berlinale 2010 in the “Generation 14plus” programme and was an immediate success; in addition to glowing reviews, it also received the award for best film in this programme.
Agostino Imondi
Born in 1975 in Basel. He worked from 2000 to 2003 as a cameraman and editor for the Australian TV channel “C31 Melbourne”. From 2003 to 2004 he studied directing at the “Scuola di Cinema” in Rome.
