'Gegen die Wand' (= 'against the wall' in German) excellently reflects a problem touching Western European society nowadays. It's about Europeans importing their labor-force from Turkey, Algeria and Morocco. Just like the Americans do from Mexico.
This movie deals with Turkish labor-immigrants in the big German harbor-town of Hamburg. Strongly rooted in their age-old, highly religious traditions, these people have trouble adapting themselves to the economic-dictated rules of western society. For instance, eating pig-meat is a deadly sin to them. For this reason they don't let their children play with German children, fearing they'll be wrongly fed by a well-meaning German mother. Isolation is there.
As clearly woven into this movie's plot, these immigrant's children adapt themselves much better than their parents do. By now every West European law court can testify, how big tensions on this can be within the Turkish community.
The great value of 'Gegen die Wand' lies in the honest exposure of this problem. Presented from a Turkish point of view, which is rare, and free of any prejudice. Understanding is eased here by showing a band playing/singing Turkish songs. The same goes for the shots from Istanbul, a pretty 'western-orientated' Turkish town.
The acting in 'Gegen die Wand' is excellent. Female lead Sibel Kekilli clearly shows she understands the workings of German society. By appearing naked for instance, an unheard-of sin in the tradition of her Turkish home-country.
This movie deals with Turkish labor-immigrants in the big German harbor-town of Hamburg. Strongly rooted in their age-old, highly religious traditions, these people have trouble adapting themselves to the economic-dictated rules of western society. For instance, eating pig-meat is a deadly sin to them. For this reason they don't let their children play with German children, fearing they'll be wrongly fed by a well-meaning German mother. Isolation is there.
As clearly woven into this movie's plot, these immigrant's children adapt themselves much better than their parents do. By now every West European law court can testify, how big tensions on this can be within the Turkish community.
The great value of 'Gegen die Wand' lies in the honest exposure of this problem. Presented from a Turkish point of view, which is rare, and free of any prejudice. Understanding is eased here by showing a band playing/singing Turkish songs. The same goes for the shots from Istanbul, a pretty 'western-orientated' Turkish town.
The acting in 'Gegen die Wand' is excellent. Female lead Sibel Kekilli clearly shows she understands the workings of German society. By appearing naked for instance, an unheard-of sin in the tradition of her Turkish home-country.