Exil

Director: Visar Morina
Screenwriters: Visar Morina

Institute History

  • 2020 Sundance Film Festival

Description

After a frustrating day of work, Xhafer (Mišel Mati?evi?) returns home to find that someone has hung a dead rat at his front gate. The question of who did it and why slowly eats at him, forever altering his relationships at work and at home. Because Xhafer is a Kosovar living in Germany, what could be seen as office politics now seems to have another, unspoken reason behind it. When Xhafer’s German wife (Sandra Hüller) suggests the incident might not have been because his coworkers are discriminating against him but because they just don’t like him, Xhafer is offended—but cannot clearly say she’s wrong. After a shocking event, Xhafer is forced to confront his identity and the kind of person he truly is.

Exil explores the fog of uncertainty felt by someone who doesn’t belong, where microaggressions are real but the reasons behind them go deeper than just where you are from. With a sharp eye for detail and supported by remarkable performances, writer/director Visar Morina presents a story that will gnaw at you long after the last frame.

— S.S.

Screening Details

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