August 1992. In the East German city of Rostock, tensions are running high. Since the collapse of Communism, asylum seekers and other immigrants have been housed on one run-down estate, and the local population is becoming increasingly enraged.
Based on real events and set, like Do the Right Thing, over the course of one hot summer day, We Are Young, We Are Strong follows the fate of two young people, Vietnamese immigrant Lien (Trang Le Hong) and Stefan (Jonas Nay), a troubled teenager drawn to one of the far-right groups determined to drive ‘foreigners’ out. As darkness falls on the estate and an angry mob gathers, Lien and Stefan find themselves on opposite sides of a confrontation that threatens to spiral out of control.
Acclaimed young German filmmaker Burhan Qurbani keeps the tension simmering, plunging into a heady mix of issues without losing sight of his characters, and drawing strong performances from an ensemble cast. His freewheeling camera brings events an epic scale that embraces all of German society and, implicitly, our own.
Alistair Daniel
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
With special guest Burhan Qurbani
Presented in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Irland
Please note that there will an additional screening taking place at Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, on 25th March.
Please note that the festival is over 18s only
