A Kosovan immigrant, Xhafer, living in Germany, believes he’s a victim of xenophobia, although it may be his own paranoia spiraling out of control. When Xhafer finds a dead rat hanging from the gate in front of his home, he immediately suspects that his racist colleagues could be behind it. Every occurrence, every word, every gesture is taken as evidence. Xhafer’s uneasiness grows every day. His German wife, Nora, is tired of his playing the race card all the time.
The film’s director, Visar Morina, was born in Kosovo and moved to Germany at the age of 15. He admits the movie is partly autobiographical. “I didn’t speak the language and had to fight for my position, both at the school, I couldn’t initially attend and in private. Sometimes there are little details that were important during the writing process. But I don’t have children, I’m not married, and I don’t work in an office. And when I meet an idiot, I don’t think he’s an idiot because I’m a foreigner, but because the poor guy really is an idiot.”
Racism, integration, being a foreigner, assimilation, bullying, exclusion – these issues are all psychologically and emotionally complex in terms of communication. Morina says that this will continue if we judge people based on pre-formed opinions. “As far as Xhafer is concerned, I believe that every person, even non-foreigners, can end up in his situation. You don’t have to have left your village or hometown to grasp this.”
The role of Xhafer is played by Mišel Matičević, who was born in West Berlin to Croatian parents who were guest workers in West Germany. Sandra Hüller plays his wife, Nora. Hüller has received numerous awards and she has been voted the Actress of the Year three times.
Exile is a thriller about paranoia and identity that’s simultaneously dark and surreal, with echoes of genre cinema and an unconventional sense of humor.