Beyond a place

Beyond a place is a short documentary that tells a story of a park community in Berlin and the role it plays in the lives of a diverse group aged 6-85 from very different backgrounds and countries of origin.


Touching on life in exile, urban participation, and the refugee experience of integration in Europe, the film offers an optimistic perspective on collective care and the power of play in community building.


The film is structured around a series of talking head interviews of different folk from the community - each are interviewed in their own homes about their relationship to home, community, and the impact that’s felt on their lives.


Beyond a place leaves the focal point of the community ambiguous, allowing the emotional history and connection of individuals to the collective to take focus, and rendering the bond universal to all people who share a passion and a connection in a public space.

  • Nicola Schwartz
    Director
  • Johanna Brockel
    Producer
  • Mark Esper
    Editor
    The Winter Ghost
  • Munir Al Haj
    Key Cast
  • Mohammed Khatib
    Key Cast
  • Christa Schwamm
    Key Cast
  • Ebru Dogan
    Key Cast
  • Fidel Bartholdy
    Key Cast
  • Laurent Noyon
    Key Cast
  • Zaher Grzaldein
    Key Cast
  • Bernhard Yang
    Key Cast
  • Mehdi Hicham
    Key Cast
  • laura hulsmann
    Key Cast
  • Yasemin Kisa
    Key Cast
  • Anastasiia Khitsenko
    Key Cast
  • Aziz Mhenni
    Key Cast
  • Kefah Saimonaa
    Key Cast
  • Amjad Alrayan
    Key Cast
  • Maryam Hosseini
    Key Cast
  • Avimed Davaasuren
    Key Cast
  • Farid Nader
    Key Cast
  • Johanna Brockel
    Interviews
  • Farid Nader
    Interviews
  • Kefah Saimonaa
    Interviews
  • Nicola Schwartz
    Writer
  • David Pearson
    Music
  • Shahin Vasei
    Music
  • Nicola Schwartz
    Camera and Audio
  • David Pearson
    Camera and Audio
  • Pocko Social
    Production company
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 14, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    Arabic, English, German
  • Shooting Format:
    4k digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Nicola Schwartz

Nicola Schwartz is an Italian-born filmmaker who graduated from the Royal College of Art, London. He commenced his career in fine art photography and video art, earning recognition through international exhibitions and publications.

He has lectured on video art and production at the university level whilst also working and collaborating with influential figures such as the visionary graphic designer Vaughan Oliver and the iconic fashion designer Alexander McQueen whose collaborations underscore his innovative approach to filmmaking.

In 2001 Schwartz founded Pocko, a versatile art platform comprising an art gallery, publishing house, and creative agency, nurturing artistic talent and fostering creativity.

He has curated more then 50 art exhibitions and edited 35 published books. In animated films, he co-directed films for esteemed organisations like the Factum Foundation, "Cruel Britannia" and "Pino and the Penguins" and also produced a short documentary “Magpie’s Nest” about the work and struggles of Ukrainian artist Nadiia Plyamko.

Schwartz also serves as the creative director and founder of Pocko Social, a creative platform dedicated to using creativity to change social issues and to support charities and foundations.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I am part of the community depicted in Beyond a Place and it has changed my life on many different ways and that was the initial inspiration to making a film about it.
I really hope this film might inspire others to follow their passion and find their supportive communities of people who share the same passion whilst coming from very different backgrounds and cultures.

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PRODUCER STATEMENT - JOHANNA BRÖCKEL

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The short documentary portrays a special community, whose members meet in a place Berlin and soon start to refer to each other as ‚family for the moment‘.

Structured as a riddle, the film moves along narratives from the personal to the public place and from the individual to the collective using ethnographic interviews.

All interviewed, superficially so different characters give answers to a question that has never been asked but seems to be central: how do inclusive societies develop and what fosters them?

While the cooperative film project tries to capture the moment for the community, it sends the external audience to an introversion raising questions like: what connects these people? Do I have a place like this in my life? What kind of communities am I part of? What connect me to people? Which bonds would I like to portray?

The over all incentive of the film is to celebrate a community of practised inclusion and to inspire new ones to emerge.