Syrian Filmmaker Eldin's YUNAN To Premiere At Berlin International Film Festival With Star-Studded Cast

The Berlin International Film Festival will showcase YUNAN, a drama directed by Syrian filmmaker Ameer Fakher Eldin, for its 75th edition running from 7-23 February. This film is notable for being the sole Arab entry competing in the Main Competition lineup.

YUNAN is a product of multinational collaboration, involving contributions from Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Egypt, and Palestine, showcasing the talents of Lebanese actor George Khabbaz and German actress Hanna Schygulla among others.

Ameer Fakher Eldin, born in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 1991 to Syrian parents from the occupied Golan Heights, has established himself as a distinguished director and writer in Hamburg, Germany. YUNAN emerges as the second film in his HOMELAND trilogy, which delves into themes of displacement.

The trilogy began with his acclaimed 2021 debut, THE STRANGER, which garnered several awards, including the Edipo Re Award at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. It also represented Palestine in the Best International Feature Film category at the 94th Academy Awards.

The narrative of YUNAN centers on Munir, an author who retreats to a secluded island to reflect on a crucial decision. There, he discovers a new lease on life through the kindness of Valeska, a character that brings quiet support. The film’s cast features Lebanese director and actor George Khabbaz, known for the Oscar-nominated CAPERNAUM, German actress Hanna Schygulla, Palestinian actor Ali Suleiman, Lebanese actress Nidal El Ashkar, and GAME OF THRONES stars Sibel Kekilli and Thomas Wlaschiha.

Ameer Fakher Eldin has shared his vision behind YUNAN, stating, "It began as a reflection on displacement, on the quiet spaces it creates within and around us… I wanted to explore what happens when the familiar falls away, when the sense of home, of belonging, is fractured, leaving us to navigate the silence that follows." He further describes the film's narrative rhythm as a journey of "submersion, loss, and return," emphasizing the transient nature of absence and change.

The film's production involved several notable behind-the-scenes talents, including MAD Crew composer Suad Bushnaq, cinematographer Ronald Plante, production designer Marie-Luise Balzer, and sound designer Kuen-Il Song. The producing team comprises Dorothe Beinemeier, Catherine Chagnon, Marco Valerio Fusco, Micaela Fusco, Tony Copti, and Jiries Copti, alongside executive producers Paola Corvino, Alaa Karkouti, and Maher Diab.

YUNAN was realized with the support of numerous production companies and received financial backing from several grants and funds, including the Red Sea Fund and the Red Sea Souk in 2022, a co-production grant from the Jordanian Royal Film Commission, the MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, the Council of Europe's Eurimages, Telefilm Canada, and SODEC.

Fakher Eldin has also initiated work on the trilogy's final chapter, NOSTALGIA: A TALE IN ITS FIRST CHAPTERS, which has secured funding from the Red Sea Fund for Development.