SPAG Media Festival - Neukölln Unlimited Discussion - Agostino Imondi

A screening followed by conversation, dinner and panel discussion with filmmaker Agostino Imondi. Neukölln Unlimited explores the daily lives of three Lebanese refugees and hip hop artists in Berlin struggling to evade deportation and establish permanent residency in Germany.

NEUKÖLLN UNLIMITED

(Agostino Imondi and Dietmar Rasch; Doc.; 96 min; English Subtitles; Germany, 2010)

Film Description:

The siblings Hassan (18), Lial (19) and Maradona (14) are talented musicians and breakdancers growing up in Berlin's notorious Neukolln district. HipHop and streetdance are their language and their passion.

Their family is from Lebanon and lives in constant danger of being deported from Germany. To prevent this from happening, and to secure a residency permit for the whole family, Hassan and Lial have a plan: to use their artistic talents to provide the necessary financial support for their family. When the two teenagers have trouble coping with the pressure, a rivalry arises over who should be the family1s primary breadwinner.

Meanwhile, Maradona gets himself into more and more trouble, and is suspended from school. He is at a crossroads, torn between motivation and resignation, between his siblings' ambitious lifestyle and the street credibility of his crew.

However, his surprising qualification for a TV casting show could prove to be the turning point. If he wins the 100,000 euro cash prize, he could be the one who saves his family.

Website: http://www.neukoelln-unlimited.de/

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBoZrAlVhxk

https://mediaspace.gatech.edu/media/imondi/1_t7l3v636