NEIGHBORS

 Director: MANO KHALIL

 Time: 124’

 Year of Production: 2021

 Language: KURDÎ-EREBÎ

 Subtitle: TIRKÎ-INGILÎZÎ

Synopsis

In a small village near the Syria-Turkey border, a young boy named Şêro goes to school for the first time, makes jokes, and dreams of getting a television to watch cartoons. For his family’s cherished friends, he lights the Shabbat candles every Saturday. However, Şêro also experiences the growing oppression of ordinary people around him under despotism, violence, and nationalism. The film, with a subtle sense of humor and irony, explores the tender moments of a childhood marked by both dictatorship and dark drama. Drawing inspiration from the director’s personal experiences, the film’s bittersweet stories connect the tragedy of Syria to the present day.

Biography

 Born in Syria, Mano Khalil is Kurdish director/scriptwriter. He studied directing in Czechoslovakia and earned his MBA in Film & TV Directing. He moved to Switzerland, in 1996, and started his filmmaking journey as a director on several short films. He made numerous award-winning documentaries, including Triumph of Iron and The place Where God Sleeps. In 2003, he directed his feature debut Colorful Dreams, followed by many significant films, including The Bee Keeper, Die Schwalbe and Hafis & Mara. His most recent film is NEIGHBORS.