US.

A production of Possible World 2012-13

in cooperation with the Centre for Special Education for the

"Ernst-Adolf-Eschke-Schule für Gehörlose" in Berlin

Sponsored by:

Aktion Mensch

Berlin Project Funds for Cultural Education

Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg

> Press

A shortfilm in two parts (2 x 20 min) in German Sign Language and spoken language. An ensemble of 16 teenagers and young adults from Berlin - deaf, hard of hearing, multiple disabled and hearing people set out to explore their immigration background, partly with absurd actions, partly with poetic views.

with Yasemin Akan / Asya Avagynan / Ruyike Chelik / Inara Ilyasova / Hend El-Kadi / Jason Guiranna / Emilia von Heiseler / Simone Jaeger / Erdal Kar / Peter Marty / Trung Duc Nguyen / Bastian Sierich / Thai Van Quoc / Dusan Vujicic / Nikola Vujicic / Frank Weigang / Cordula Zielonka / Evelyn del Corral / Tobias Mühlheim / Marina Ramadani

DIRECTOR Michaela Caspar / CAMERA AND CUT Jens Kupsch / MUSIC Achim Kubinski / COSTUMES Friebert Schneider, Petra Kubinski / SET Michaela Caspar, Katrin Reutter / SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER Anka Böttcher / LIGHT Marvin Hesse, Michael Plundrich / SOUND Marvin Hesse, Max Neu / ASSISTENCE Sue Brüggeman, Rafael Ugarte Chacón / CAMERA ASSISTENCE Max Neu / PHOTOGRAPHY Anton von Heiseler, Max Neu

PRICES

Young Deaffest Award, UK, 2013 / Kultur macht Schule: Mixed Up Finalist, Bundesvereinigung Kulturelle Kinder- und Jugendbildung, 2013

Dusan Vujicic signs in (DGS) German sign language.

Cordula Zielonka speaks.

Egypt, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Mexico, Palestine, Serbia, Turkey, Vietnam.

Us. We are a group, Inara, Asja, Yasemin Hend, Simone, Rukiye, Duc, Quoc, Frank, Peter, Nikola, Jason, Erdal, Dusan and me, Cordula. Yeah. 15 people, 12 migrants, deaf, hearing impaired, hearing and multiply impaired. We live in Berlin. He is from Serbia and I am from Bonn. Why did they all come here?

Duc signs in German Sign Language.

My name is Duc.

I am 18 years old.

I am deaf.

I am from Vietnam.

I came to Germany alone.

Without father and mother.

I flew to the Czech Republic.

Than by car.

I drove a long way.

Crossed the border by foot.

Secretly.

Walked to Berlin.

The police arrested me on the street.

I can’t hear.

I can’t speak.

Cutting from an interview:

Yasemin uses signed and spoken German.Yasemin mother speaks.

Daughter: Mom where were you born?

Mother: Turkey, Ersyryn.

Daughter: Why did you come to Germany?

Mother: Because I married.

Daughter: When did you come to Germany?

Mother: I was 15.

Daughter: Where was your favorite place when you were a child?

Mother: Village.

Daughter: How old were you when you got married?

Mother: I was 16.

Daughter: At what age was your life the best?

Mother: I was happy as a child.

Daughter: Do you believe in Allah?

Mother: Yes.

Daughter: Why don’t you wear a headscarf?

Mother: She hushes.

Daughter: Do you have German friends?

Mother: No.

Daughter: Why don’t you have any German friends?

Mother: We have contact with the Germans but no friends.

Daughter: Are you Turkish or German?

Mother: I am Turkish.

Daughter: Which passport do you have?

Mother: German passport.

Daughter: Where is your homeland?

Mother: Turkey.

Daughter: Do you want to migrate back to Turkey?

Mother: No.

Screenings

1. Deutsche Gebärdensprachfilmwoche Berlin, Deutschland 23 - 28 September 2013

66. Festival de Cannes, France Short Film Corner 15- 26 May 2013

Deaffest 2013, UK Nominiation for the Young Deaffest Film Award 18 - 20 May 2013

Alice Salomon University of Applied Science Berlin Culture Lecture/ Summer Semester 2013, Theme: Gaining Entry: the Right of Cultural Participation, Film screening: US., Lecture: Michaela Caspar about the Work of Possible World e.V. with sign language interpreter 8 May 2013

11. Deaf Film Festival Maine, USA 13 April 2013

3. Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival, Hong Kong 22- 24 February 2013, WORLD PREMIERE