Gabriel, Bobby and Costa are old friends from Altona, a multicultural hood in Hamburg. Just out of prison, Gabriel wants to turn his back on crime, but the others continue to operate as petty criminals. Friendships are tested as the trio navigate a dark world of mafia bosses and deals gone wrong.
Direction
Akin already directing with blistering confidence.
Acting
Kurtuluş carries the weight of impossible choices.
Cinematography
Altona as character — concrete, neon, unforgiving.
Director
Fatih Akin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This is Fatih Akin's thesis statement: the 'guest worker' generation's children trapped between worlds, a theme he'd perfect in 'Head-On' and 'The Edge of Heaven.'
Adam Bousdoukos (Costa) would later star in Akin's 'Soul Kitchen' — their creative partnership spans decades of German cinema.
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