Irish Film Institute -A Little Bit of Freedom

A Little Bit of Freedom

Director: Yuksal Yavuz

2002. English subtitles. Colour. Dolby stereo. 98 mins.


Set in Hamburg’s immigrant district of Altona, home to the world-famous red light district, A Little Bit of Freedom provides an engaging, melancholy portrait of a Kurdish refugee from Turkey who struggles to get by after his bid for political asylum is refused. Boyishly handsome Baran (Cagdas Bozkurt) makes bicycle deliveries for a kebab shop run by a Turk who employs an all-refugee staff. He strikes up a friendship with fellow teenager Chernor (Leroy Delmar), an illegal African immigrant with dyed blond hair. As Chernor tries to finance his future by dealing drugs, Baran’s past catches up with him. . . . Director Yuksal Yavuz, a Turk who has been living in Hamburg for 20 years, captures the reality of young illegal immigrants in a very moving and intense way. Shot on a modest budget with first-time actors, the film’s visual style conveys an authentic sense of losing stability and drowning in solitude. This is a stunning portrait of a hidden world that can be found in the heart of many European cities.

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