Journey of Hope

a film by Xavier Koller

In a village in eastern Turkey, tales of the economic success of Turks in Switzerland inspire Haydar to convince his wife Meryem that they must go. He sells their livestock and small plot of land in exchange for passage for two. He wants to leave their seven children in the care of the eldest and his parents; his father advises him to take one son to be educated in Europe, as economic insurance. The three set off for Istanbul, Milan, and Switzerland, stowing away on a ship. At Lake Como, they pay the rest of their money to unprincipled men who abandon them at an Alpine pass before a blizzard. Father and son are separated from Meryem. Will anyone reach the land of promise?

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1990 | Switzerland, Turkey, UK, France, Germany | 105min. | Feature Film
Dialogue: Turkish, Swiss German, Italian
Subtitles: Deutsch, English, Francais, Italiano

Festivals and Awards

13° Encuentro Cinematografico Argentino Europea Pantalla Pinamar, 69° Festival del film Locarno (Winner Bronze Leopard), 31° Festival Internacional de Cine de Guadalajara, 29th Haifa International Film Festival, 12th Shanghai International Film Festival, Tekfestival, 15. Film-Kunst-Fest Schwerin, 49. Semana Internacional de Cine, 27th Kiev Int. Film Festival "Molodist", Cape Town International Film Festival

Cast
Mathias Gnädinger, Nur Sürer, Andrea Zogg