17/05/2003 - The first surprise of this festival came from Germany: Yüksel Yavuz's fast-paced story of a young Kurdish illegal immigrant's misadventures in Hamburg

François Da Silva, the delegate-general of the Fortnight called it a "treasure of German cinema". Kleine freiheit (A bit of freedom) is the second feature by Yüksel Yavuz and after yesterday's screening we can confirm that Da Silva hit the nail right on the head.
This intensely human tale of the misadventures of a young illegal Kurdish immigrant to Hamburg begins with a breathtaking fast-paced sequence and portrays a hitherto hidden face of contemporary Germany, home to the Turkish-born Yavuz since 1980. Outstanding editing gives this film an ultra-modern quality and we will surely be hearing a lot more of both the director and his young star, Cagdas Bozkurt. Produced by Cotta Media Entertainment (who is also handing international sales) and co-produced with ZDF Mainz, Kleine freiheit is a sure bet for a pan-European release. Precisely one of the aims of the Fortnight, as underlined by Da Silva, adding that none of the 21 titles selected has a French distributor.
Yüksel Yavuz's film beat 40 other German titles presented and this director is now on the fast track to European fame (and fortune).

(Translated from French)