A Little Bit of Freedom

Since his 16th birthday, Baran (Cagdas Bozkurt) is no longer a “tolerated child” but an “illegal immigrant.” With his asylum application denied, he faces deportation. So the young Kurd decides on the spur of the moment to go underground in Hamburg’s Kiez neighborhood. Baran hangs out in St. Pauli, sleeps at friends’ places, works part-time at a kebab shop, and befriends Chernor (Leroy Delmar), a man of African descent who also lives without secure residency status. Together, the two young men dream of a better life, even as they face exclusion, fear, and a lack of prospects on a daily basis. When Baran encounters the man he blames for his parents’ deaths, his life plunges into an even deeper crisis... Director Yüksel Yavuz tells this powerful story of two young outsiders with great authenticity and without pathos. *Kleine Freiheit* has won numerous awards at international festivals, screened at the Cannes International Film Festival, and is considered one of Yüksel Yavuz’s most important early films. The awards particularly recognize the authentic portrayal of migration, friendship, and social exclusion, as well as the great emotional power of the young actors. “Kleine Freiheit” makes a powerful, moving plea for humanity, friendship, and hope under difficult circumstances.