“YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH ALL THE GOOD THINGS OF BOTH CULTURES AND SPOIL THE BAD ONES. THIS WAY YOU WILL TAKE THE MOST ADVANTAGE OF YOUR LIFE STORY. ” -Sinan’s Father

My Father, My Uncle

Asia Pacific Premiere

Mein Vater. Mein Onkel
Germany 2009 / 80min. / German, Arabic with English subtitles.
Director Christoph Heller. Producers Hartmut Bitomsky, Christoph Heller.

Sinan was born in 1979 in Mosul, the fourth child of an Iraqi couple. His parents decided upon his birth to give him to their brother Farouk, who had been unable to conceive with his German wife Brunhild. The two of them became Sinan’s adoptive parents. In 1982 Brunhild decided to flee Iraq for Germany. The
adoptive father and birth parents remained in Iraq.

Spring 2007: after years of searching, Sinan’s family finds him through the Internet. A few months later, Sinan finally meets his Iraqi family in the United Arab Emirates. Sinan was reserved
about both his family and the Arabic culture. But meeting his family changed that. He develops a yearning for his roots and starts to learn Arabic traditions with humor and zeal.

His earlier fear and reservation are replaced by an insatiable need to understand another culture, now his culture as well. But after some time it is obvious that the family also has expectations. Will Sinan be able to fulfil them?

My Father, My Uncle is Director Heller’s graduation film and is a moving and humorous portrayal of a family reunion 25 years and two countries in the making.