Screening of Jenseits von Heimat / Beyond Home 2015, dir Maren Hahnfeld

Jenseits von Heimat portrays Syrian women’s experiences in their German exile with a focus on arguments, friendships and ultimately change triggered by the refugee’s arrival. The film immerses the audience in the worlds of Samar, Batoul and Nibal, who arrived in Germany five years ago and now live in the remote communities of Altena, a medieval town in the hills of the Sauerland, and on the tiny North Sea Island of Föhr. The refugee women express their feelings of longing and belonging during encounters with locals in the intimate spaces of home where they debate stereotypes, Islamophobia and feminism. The women express vividly what it means to be separated from their homeland and allude to their daily struggle of living without the people left behind. In particular, Batoul’s yearning for her adult children who still remain in Syria is pivotal as events take a surprising turn. Jenseits von Heimat avoids binary oppositions and instead explores the many shades of refugee and local behaviour, actions, and attitudes, addressing one of the key challenges of our time: How can we live together? 

Q&A with Maren Hahnfeld and Maria Mencia

This is a Kingston SIME (Sound/Image/Media/Encounters)research group event