NEUKÖLLN UNLIMITED

Hassan (18), Lial (19) and Maradona (14) live with their mother in the Berlin suburb of Neukölln. The family, who were originally from Lebanon, have lived in Germany for 18 years, yet despite this they have already been deported once and have failed to receive a residency permit for the family. The documentary filmmakers Agostino Imondi and Dietmar Ratsch follow them as they struggle with their fight to stay in Germany and battle the psychological effects of their uncertain future and the constant threat of deportation. In the absence of his father, Hassan takes on the responsibility to provide for the family, and despite still being in school he works to support the family as a dance teacher and professional dancer. Whilst undertaking an apprenticeship Lial uses music and dance to make a contribution to the family income required to ensure their residency, and also to express her emotions and feelings about the situation they find themselves in. Maradona is the problem child. He is regularly suspended from school and the challenges and issues the family face lead to him becoming torn between working hard to win a ‘SuperTalent’ competition to raise funds to support his family and accepting a future where he fails to achieve success in school and becomes involved in gangs and crime.