Emigrant Issues from Radha Mateva on Vimeo

Synopsis

Is the term „emigrant“ still valid, when it comes to the young professionals of today? They come from all over the world, freed from the belonging to a certain nation, but do they feel any responsibility towards their home country? Would they go back?

Set in Berlin, this film reflects the thoughts of 12 young people on their personal backgrounds of coming „here“ from „there“. They talk about what would be the right place to live and is it enough to be born somewhere to belong there.

The term „emigrant“ has won its self a questionable reputation through the years, meaning a movement of a person or a group of people from one place to another, because of the bad conditions in the country of origin. There can be also other reasons, but the most significant push and pull factors are of economical nature: hard life, better job, more money, more security.

Officially, all the protagonists in this film are emigrants. Although, they would never think of themselves as such. Where does this come from? Why is it different now? They feel as a part of a new global community of cosmopolitans, which is like a country in its self, set anywhere in the world. There is a lack of responsibility towards a place, when the place also lacks responsibility for its people.

This is not a film about an identity crisis. On the contrary, this film is about a new kind of national identity.