Kleine Freiheit

Two teenagers without residency status move through the St. Pauli district of Hamburg. One is from Kurdistan and has been living underground in the city since the death of his parents. The other fled West Africa and finances himself through drug dealing. Both are connected by their everyday lives as undocumented minors. Their relationship is under pressure, not only from their surroundings, but also from personal trauma and structural exclusion. KLEINE FREIHEIT was shown in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section at Cannes in 2003. Cagdas Bozkurt received the acting award at the Ankara Film Festival for his role. The production also won the audience award at the International Istanbul Film Festival and the Grand Prix at the Ankara International Film Festival. The film was also nominated for the Max Ophüls Prize. Director Yüksel Yavuz works with amateur actors and stages a precise drama about young migrants in urban areas. The portrayal avoids clichés and focuses on documentary-style observations. The production is part of German independent cinema and revolves around themes such as deportation, flight, and police violence. St. Pauli is not a backdrop here, but a conflict zone of social reality.