who | what | how

Namibya şehir iken...

(Als Namibia eine Stadt war.../When Namibia was a city...)

Synopsis
Yusuf's everyday life is dominated by routine. He has made himself comfortable in his life between television and computer and is happy that way. But the people around him try to get him out of his beloved routine. His working wive and his buddy Tamer make him go on a fishing trip on the frozen lake. He relcutantly agrees to go, but once there, he gets a chance to restore his image as the provider and head of family.

Directors' commentary
The story of „When Namibia was a city...“ evolved in a year-long process. Part of this process was watching Yusuf from the perspective of his son. It all began when Yusuf was not able to work anymore out of medical reasons. And it took an end when his son left the parent's home. During this time the roles in the family shifted: the mother took the role of the provider, the son emancipated himself from his parents. To watch how Yusuf handled this change was the inspiration for this film. The central occurance was indeed a game of „categories“ in which one could see how the father took an irrelevancy to his heart, tried to distract from his ignorance and found shelter with his computer. There was a moment where one noticed, that sometimes the unexpressed tells us more than the expressed. And that was our starting point.

2010, HD, 24min

A film by Ilker Çatak & Johannes Duncker

"Told through concentratedly obsvering shots. [...] Without cheap emotional tricks the film manages to deeply engage the audience in the struggle of its protagonist."- Jury Cologne Unlimited

"The filmmakers show audacity in their calm direction of the film. They succeed - supported by their convincing actors - in a narrative tightrope walk between disillusionment and hope. Calm and precise images, reduced dialog and coherently told story create an intense and convincing film."
- German Film Board