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Yousef Sweid

Actor
Yousef Sweid was born in Haifa in 1976 and is a Palestinian-Israeli actor who has been working in German-speaking countries for many years. He first became known through theater and television productions in Israel before establishing himself more firmly in film and television series in Germany. His current work includes the 2024 film DIE GESCHÜTZTEN MÄNNER (The Protected Men), directed by Irene von Alberti, in which he plays a central role. The film presents a radical vision of the future and was released in cinemas. In Germany, Sweid has repeatedly appeared in high-quality series productions, which have shaped his profile as a versatile actor. These include the 2020 series Unorthodox, which attracted international attention and won numerous awards for its portrayal of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. His theater work remains an essential part of his artistic career, including at the Schaubühne in Berlin. Sweid was also named “Actor of the Year” early on in Israel, cementing his position as a distinguished performer even before he moved to Europe. Through his presence in film, streaming, and television, he is now considered a defining figure in international productions that require complex and multilingual roles.

Films

Protected Men

Protected Men

By Irene von Alberti

2024 | 104 min | Drama

While Anita and Sarah are founding a new women's party, men are getting infected with a new virus that makes them sex-obsessed.

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Krieg oder Frieden

Krieg oder Frieden

2024 | 86 min | Documentary

Wünsdorf in Brandenburg was a military base for decades: first for the Prussians, then for the Wehrmacht, and finally for the Red Army. At the center of Elfi Mikesch's multifaceted film is the pioneer of ecological urban development Ekhart Hahn, who, together with artists, is committed to a new, sustainable use of the site that above all serves the cause of peace. Is catharsis possible after catastrophe? "Must the saying ‘There have always been and always will be wars’ remain, or can we abandon ...

Dynamic Double Standard

Dynamic Double Standard

2015 | 4 min | Shorts

Zoey's first night as a superhero is nearly ruined when she's given a sexy and impractical uniform. What is appropriate attire for superhero sidekicks? And who is the sidekick anyway? Zoey negotiates these questions on her first day in the heroing business.

Temptations of happiness: Arcadia - the film

Temptations of happiness: Arcadia - the film

2019 | 93 min | Documentary

Peter Kees, Ambassador of Arcadia, occupies one square meter of land in different countries and declares this occupied land as an Arcadian territory. What lies behind this peaceful land grabbing? United by a desire for freedom and autonomy, action artist, film director and ambassador Peter Kees joins with activists, artists and philosophers to explore the ancient myth of Arcadia.

A German Loves His Fatherland

A German Loves His Fatherland

2011 | 20 min | Comedy

Jens is tolerant, tall and handsome. But his honesty and deep loyalty to Germany cause him problems. Although he just loves his country, many people consider him a Nazi... Nico Sommer's mockumentary A GERMAN LOVES HIS FATHERLAND, which debuted at the Berlinale and won Best German Film at the Interfilm Festival Berlin, strikes the right balance between satire and seriousness. "Nico Sommer masters the game of authenticity. The director's a skill at this is both a blessing and a curse in the film. ...

Der tote Winkel der Wahrnehmung

Der tote Winkel der Wahrnehmung

2025 | 79 min | Comedy

Vienna, 1996: two MiniDV tapes resurface, containing footage from a student film project. The students Alina and Flora investigate paranormal phenomena, interviewing people who claim to have witnessed unusual encounters. What begins as a playful inquiry gradually develops a momentum of its own. Through encounters with conspiracy believers, self-proclaimed experts and unreliable witnesses, a theory takes shape: reptilian extraterrestrials live among humans and are secretly advancing their hybridization. As ...

Test Drive to Paradise

Test Drive to Paradise

1992 | 83 min | Timeless

Can love be sin? The young priest Strobel (Axel Milberg) takes part in a bus trip to Lourdes. On board: the strict nun (Christiane Hörbiger), a renitent bus driver (Mathias Gnädinger), a mysterious older lady (Inge von Ambesser) and a lot of pious foot soldiers. When the pregnant woman, (Barbara Auer) who smuggles herself into the bus Maria fanatics, turns out to be the lover of the priest, an unmasking hide-and-seek game of lustful lies and asceticism begins. "Fast paced with bold dialogue, beautiful ...

Foreigners Out! Schlingensief's Container

Foreigners Out! Schlingensief's Container

2002 | 90 min | Documentary

A deportation container for asylum seekers, interactively influenced by the audience, racist speeches by the former FPÖ success figure Jörg Haider blasting out of speakers. What sounds like a mixture of the realty TV show "Big Brother" and a dark vision of fear was an art project by Christoph Schlingensief, which took place in the middle of Vienna in the early 2000s. On "www.auslaenderraus.at" the audience could decide daily which inhabitant was deported. Thousands of passers-by got angry on site ...

100 Years Of Adolf Hitler: The Last Hour In The Führerbunker

100 Years Of Adolf Hitler: The Last Hour In The Führerbunker

1989 | 55 min | Comedy

One light, one day, one leader. Five men, four women, pulled out of the darkness by a hand-held spotlight. We see the last hour in the Führer's bunker as it really was. Shot in just under 16 hours in one take, in a bunker from the Second World War, 100 YEARS OF ADOLF HITLER shows incest and intrigue, noise and rioting – the last hour in the Führer's bunker as it really was. 100 YEARS ADOLF HITLER is Schlingensief's most important and most acclaimed film to date. It earns him the reputation among ...