Private Project

ALI

The documentary gives an insight into Ali's everyday work as a parcel delivery man and poses the question of future prospects for immigrants of different generations in Germany.

  • Yasemin Markstein
    Director
  • Petra Clemens
    Producer
  • Ali Amegnona Anani Yawo
    Key Cast
  • Yasemin Markstein
    Kamera
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    ALI
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Academy of Media Arts Cologne
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Yasemin Markstein

Yasemin Markstein, born in Wuppertal in 1989, first came into contact with the medium of film in 2006 when she stood in front of the camera herself as part of a youth project.

After her 3-month internship at the Medienprojekt Wuppertal and at the RAA in Berlin, she changed perspectives and stood behind the camera herself for many years as a freelancer at the Medienprojekt. Since then, she has realized video projects with young people (documentaries, feature films, experimental films), as well as her own film projects in the fields of writing, directing, cinematography and editing.

With some of these projects she was at festivals and also received awards, like such as with her documentary ,,The Heart doesn’t forget“ (2.nd Prize and Audience Award in the category ,,Video of Generation“ at Bundesfestivalvideo2012) or with her short film ,,Just A Normal Girl" ( German Human Rights Film Award in the category Amateur in 2018).

Since 2012 she has been studying ,,Media Arts" at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne and realized her own projects there, such as the episodic project ,,BEINAH" (2014) or the documentary portrait ,,ALI" (2022). In 2021 she graduated with her scenic short film ,,WENDE" (2022) and is now working on her own film projects on the topics of segregation and idealized role models.

In her cinematic works she deals with social images related to sexuality, origin and/or gender and tries to deconstruct them.

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Director Statement

My films arise from an activist need to make inequalities and disadvantages in the world visible. Thus, my films are fundamentally concerned with human rights. I shoot as much as possible alone or in small teams in order to be as independent and flexible as possible and to give my content an authentic character, which focuses on ideas.

Cinematically, I am inspired by neorealist films of different currents, such as films from Italy (Bicycle Thieves from Vittoria De Sica) from Iran (,,A Seperation from Asghar Farhadi) and particular films from Romania (,,The Death of Mr.Lazarescu from Christi Puiu or ,,4 Month, 3 weeks and 2 Days from Cristian Mungiu).

Thus, the film ALI deals with the daily work of the immigrant parcel delivery man, observing everyday situations without comment and in great detail, trying to give a realistic, balanced insight into Ali's life and immigration story. It does not dramatize or embellish and has a strongly participatory narrative character that follows its main protagonist at eye level. At the same time, the documentary connects the past and present levels in symbolic images.
My films require patience on the part of the recipient and the willingness to break through habitual viewing patterns and to really look and participate.