| When We Leave | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Feo Aladag |
| Written by | Feo Aladag |
| Produced by | Feo Aladag |
| Starring | Sibel Kekilli |
| Cinematography | Judith Kaufmann |
| Edited by | Andrea Mertens |
| Music by | Max Richter Stephané Moucha |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
| Countries | Germany Turkey |
| Languages | German Turkish |
When We Leave (German: Die Fremde, Turkish: Ayrılık) is a 2010 German-Turkish drama film, produced, written and directed by Austrian filmmaker Feo Aladag. The film received worldwide acclaim and represented Aladag's debut as a producer, writer, and director.
When We Leave tells the story of a young German/Turkish mother's struggle for self-determination between two systems of values. It is a multi-layered story about honor, intolerance, and the unshakeable belief in a harmonious coexistence. The film stars Sibel Kekilli, Florian Lukas, Alwara Höfels, Nursel Köse, and Turkish actors Settar Tanrıöğen and Derya Alabora. It was produced by Independent Artists, a company founded by Aladag in 2005.
When We Leave had its world premiere on 13 February 2010 at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival. It screened in the special Panorama section and was awarded the Europa Cinemas Label Prize. It began its German release on 11 March 2010. Reviewers called When We Leave "the strongest debut film in years" and gave special notice to the sensitive direction of the actors as well as the courage the film showed in addressing such heated subject matter.
The film was awarded numerous national and international prizes, including seven nominations for the 2010 German Film Awards, in the categories Best Film, Best Debut Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Score.[1]
The film won two German Film Awards for Best Film in Bronze and Best Actress. It also won the LUX Film Prize for Best European Film 2010, the New Faces Award (Best First Feature), the DEFA Board's Emerging Artists Prize (Best First Feature 2010), the Grand Prize for Best Film at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival as well as many others from film festivals including Ghent, São Paulo, and Calgary. When We Leave played at more than 100 film festivals worldwide, in 73 countries, and on 6 continents. On 17 September 2010 the German selection committee chose When We Leave as its official entry in the competition for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[1]
- ^ a b "When We Leave Film Review". German Films. 14 October 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2013.