Neighbours

In a little village on the Syrian-Turkish border in the early 80’s, Sero, a six-year old Kurdish boy, experiences his first year in school. A new teacher arrives with the goal of making strapping Arabic comrades out of the Kurdish children. He uses the rod to forbid the Kurdish language and preaches hate of the Zionist enemy- the Jews. The lessons upset and confuse Sero because his long-time neighbors are a lovable Jewish family. With a fine sense of humor and satire, the film depicts a childhood which manages to find light moments between dictatorship and dark drama. The film was inspired by the director’s personal experiences and his bitter-sweet memories.

WINNER – San Francisco Film Critics Jury Prize