Burhan Qurbani

Burhan Qurbani
برهان قربانی
Burhan Qurbani
Born (1980-11-15) 15 November 1980 (age 43)
Erkelenz, West Germany
(now Germany)
CitizenshipGerman
Alma materFilm Academy Baden-Württemberg
Occupation(s)Film director, writer, actor
Years active2006 – present
Known forShahada
Notable workShahada (film)
Illusion (2007 German short film)
20xBrandenburg

Burhan Qurbani (Persian: برهان قربانی) (born in Erkelenz on 15 November 1980) is a German film director, writer and actor of Afghan origin. His directing, writing, and acting works include Shahada (2010), 20xBrandenburg (2010 TV documentary), and Illusion (2007 short film).[1] His modern day adaption of Alfred Döblin's modern classic novel Berlin Alexanderplatz was selected for the main competition of the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival.[2]

Notable works

Shahada

Main article: Shahada (film)

Shahada is a 2010 German drama film which narrates the fates of three German-born Muslims in Berlin whose paths collide as they struggle to find a middle ground between faith and modern life in western society. The film was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.[3][4]

20xBrandenburg

20xBrandenburg is a 16-minute German TV documentary directed by Qurbani, released in October 2010.[5]

We Are Young. We Are Strong

Main article: We Are Young. We Are Strong

We Are Young. We Are Strong (in German, Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark) is a 2014 German drama film directed by Qurbani, a fictionalized account of the 1992 xenophobic Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots. It was one of eight films shortlisted by Germany to be their submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards,[6] but it lost out to Labyrinth of Lies.[7]

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Main article: Berlin Alexanderplatz (2020 film)

Awards

The awards won by Qurbani include

  • Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas for Shahada (2010) film
  • Jury Award (Made in Hamburg), including the 2008 German Film Critics Prize for the short film Illusion (2007).[8][9]

Personal life

Qurbani is from Afghanistan and belongs to the Hazara ethnic group. His family moved to Germany during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "Burhan Qurbani". IMDb.
  2. ^ Kiang, Jessica (26 February 2020). "'Berlin Alexanderplatz': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Programme 2010".
  4. ^ Marsh, Sarah (17 February 2010). "Film explores Muslims struggling with life in West". Reuters. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  5. ^ "20xBrandenburg (TV Movie 2010) - IMDb". IMDb.
  6. ^ "Germany Picks Final Eight Titles to Vie for Oscar Submission". IndieWire. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  7. ^ Roxborough, Scott (27 August 2015). "Oscars: Germany Picks 'Labryinth of Lies' for Foreign Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Burhan Qurbani | the Jerusalem International Film Lab". Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  9. ^ "Burhan Qurbani". IMDb.
  10. ^ "Hazara filmmaker Burhan Qurbani directed a prize-winning film". 7 November 2010.
  11. ^ Slackman, Michael (17 October 2010). "With Film, Afghan-German is a Foreigner at Home". The New York Times.