13/10/2026 - The Iranian filmmaker’s psychological drama revolves around a Turkish refugee in Berlin whose attempts to build a new life with her son lead to a confrontation with prejudice and the justice system

Actress Hande Erçel (© ArtHood Films/Sky Films)

Iranian writer-director Nader Saeivar is set to shoot Diaspora, a psychological drama about a Turkish refugee and single mother whose efforts to establish a peaceful life in Berlin are derailed by escalating tensions with her German neighbours.

The film follows Merve, a young woman who, after losing her husband in a tragic incident, leaves Turkey for Berlin with her 12-year-old son in the hope of building a new life. She works at a language school run by a German family expecting their second child. Following an encounter between Merve, her son and the family, she experiences unwanted physical contact from the family’s 15-year-old son, Luka. Torn between remaining silent and speaking out, she eventually informs the boy’s father after the harassment recurs. However, the family refuses to believe her and turns the accusations against her, making her the target of severe slander. As a widowed immigrant living alone with her son in a foreign country, Merve finds herself embroiled in a gruelling struggle against the justice system and societal prejudice. The family’s refusal to acknowledge their child’s behaviour deepens her isolation, forcing her into an exhausting battle between law and conscience to prove her innocence.

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Turkish actress Hande Erçel plays Merve, while Paul Moritz Bleibtreu (Run Lola Run, The Experiment), who also appeared in Saeivar’s latest film, Hijamat, portrays Paul. Johan Anton Pietschmann, the son of German actor Andreas Pietschmann and German-Iranian actress and musician Jasmin Tabatabai, plays Luka.

Saeivar directs from his own screenplay. Born in Tabriz, Iran, the filmmaker has built an international profile through his work as a director and screenwriter. He co-wrote Jafar Panahi’s 3 Faces, which won the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes in 2018, and was part of the creative team behind It Was Just an Accident, which received the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2025 and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. His directing credits include The Witness, which won the Audience Award at the Venice International Film Festival in 2024, No End and Hijamat, which was selected for the official competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2026.

In his director’s note, Saeivar describes Diaspora as an exploration of the often-unspoken power dynamics between East and West, examining how cultural misunderstandings and social hierarchies can undermine the dignity of people seeking safety in a new country. He places particular emphasis on maternal instinct as a universal language, with Merve’s struggle reflecting the psychological toll of trying to integrate into a society in which her voice and experiences are repeatedly questioned.

Principal photography is scheduled to begin in Berlin in the first quarter of 2027. Erçel will travel to the German capital approximately one month before filming to undertake character preparation, language training and rehearsals.

Diaspora is being produced by Said Nur Akkuş for Berlin-based ArtHood Films, which has also produced Saeivar’s three previous films, and Emre Oskay for Istanbul-based Sky Film International Film Production. The project has received support from the Deutscher Filmförderfonds. Further production details, including the full cast and financing arrangements, have yet to be announced.