Almanya: Willkommen in Deutschland

To be fair: who says that migration-related films cannot be positive, but have to be bleak and ripe with social criticism à la 'Into this World'? The idea to portray the arrival and gradual integration of a Turkish family in Germany without a speck of racism or aggravation could appear almost bold, given that such a subject matter almost invariably descends into the abysses of social or moral decay. Yet 'Almanya' attempts to be an uplifting, encouraging comedy of sorts, and obviously intends to highlight the positive aspects of integration. Religious matters are completely obliterated, women's issues are gently brushed aside, the entire story revolves around a family so intact, so void of disintegration and serious conflict that it could very well substitute for a Turkish Trapp family, if there was more singing.

Being so picture-perfect, the family (and the film) can never shake a whiff of artifice and dullness. Given its inclusion in this year's Berlin competition, and a fairly wide release for a domestic film, one cannot help but wonder if this isn't a German propaganda effort promoting integration to lesser satisfied migrants: Look, this is how easy you could make it for yourselves in our golden land of opportunity. Perceived as such, 'Almanya' becomes almost enjoyable as a parody of sorts. But if you're interested in how things really are for migrants in Germany, you're better off with Faith Akin's 'Head-on' and 'Short Sharp Shock', or Özgür Yildirim's 'Chiko'.

This movie is somehow similar to my own family history, how me and my sister grew up in germany, how we packed our luggage when going on vacation in turkey, but mind you, we grew up in the 80s and 90s. Still, it catches a lot of the suttle humor we are enjoying and how we face our daily lifes. I also watched the movie with my mum many years after release. She also loved it and shed some tears. Its hard to explain why this movie is so good and how they managed to create such a heartwarming experience, but rest assured, this movie shows you with it lovely characters how we emancipate from our parents and families, how we laugh, how we cry, how we hide to smoke - even as grown ups -, how we raise our children and how we argue as a generation caught between nations and cultures.

I hope you can enjoy this movie, too.

A really good start, with a lot of intercultural jokes, between Turkish and German lifestyles and biases. The movie unfortunately loses some weight after the first half and tries to mix emotion at the end, not in a very convincing way. Goes for an average 7.

I'd still advise in favor of this movie, with such a nice and funny first half.

I watched this movie with my husband, and we couldn't stop laughing! It was such a funny take at life in Germany, one of the precious few German comedies that actually makes you laugh!

The movie is the story of a family's roots, about their experience moving from Eastern Turkey to Germany. The movie shows different phases in this family's story: from their grandparents' courtship in rural Turkey to the day they become German citizens many years later. The story is full of funny anecdotes regarding new places, a new language, different food, a different culture, and how to relate to them. I think any immigrant living in Germany - and not just Turks - can relate to some of the experiences the film shows... On the other hand, I saw it in Germany with a very mixed audience and the whole movie theater was roaring in laughter, so I think the movie also tickled non-immigrant Germans' funny bone.

Nevertheless, as much as I loved this movie, I don't know if someone who does not speak German or has not been to Germany would be able to understand the jokes... There is a lot of language humor and many local references, so it might not be very universal. I think the previous reviewer certainly did not get the humor...But for someone acquainted with German culture, food, etc. this movie is fantastic, and, as I said, it is one of those few German comedies which makes you LAUGH!!!

The movie plots on two opposite lines the story of Turk family on the way to Germany as foreign workers, and their way back to Turkey. The relationship between the Turkish guests and the German hosts are idealistically depicted - the Germans love their Turkish hard-workers (if things are so happy, why Turkey has been time and again declined from joining the European Union?), the Turkish family is completely modern - like a normal Westernized family : they react tolerantly to their young daughter who gets pregnant from a non-German guy (no word on the common and prevalent honor-killings among the Turks in Germany, no word on arranged marriage which is also the very common among Turks in Germany, etc.) I've been living many years in Germany, and the story this movie tells us is completely unconvincing.

As far as the artistic sides of the movie are concerned, it starts as a comedy and suddenly, with no seen reason, it turns into saccharine melodrama. The performance, the dialogs, the mimic and gestures reminded me of typical German TV commercials for Washing Powder, Yogurt, etc.