Kaddish for a Friend

Ali is new to Berlin’s Kreuzberg district. As a refugee from Lebanon, his residence status in Germany hangs in the balance. A group of local troublemakers pressure him to break into the apartment of an elderly Russian-Jewish neighbour. Afterwards, Ali has to make amends to the old man to avoid deportation. A touching story of an unlikely friendship.

In his feature debut, Leo Khasin explores a profound conflict that unfolds across two floors of a Berlin apartment building. In an interview, Khasin explained that in an early vision for his film, an Arab boy would recite the Kaddish, a prayer honouring the deceased, traditionally recited at funerals by the closest male relative. 

Image © SiMa-Film