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Switzerland / France film
| Neighbours | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mano Khalil |
| Written by | Mano Khalil |
| Produced by | Mano Khalil Ivan Madeo Michael Weber |
| Starring | Serhed Khalil Zirek Jenan Mustafa Tina Marian Jay Abbo |
| Cinematography | Stéphane Kuthy |
| Edited by | Maya Schmid |
| Music by | Peter Scherer |
|
Production |
Frame Film |
| Distributed by | Menemsha Films |
|
Running time |
124 minutes |
| Country | Switzerland / France |
| Languages | Kurdish, Arabic, Hebrew |
Neighbours (German: Nachbarn; Kurdish: Ciran) is a 2021 film written and directed by Mano Khalil.
A Swiss/French co-production, the film depicts the experiences of a Kurdish boy in a small Syrian border village during the early 1980s. It premiered at the Berlinale’s European Film Market[1] and went on to screen at more than 200 festivals worldwide.[2]
Set in a Kurdish village on the Syrian–Turkish border, the film follows Sero, an innocent young boy.
At age six he enters school for the first time, taught by a new teacher sent by the Ba’athist regime. The village school becomes an instrument of propaganda, with the children forced to speak Arabic; Kurdish language and culture are suppressed, and the children are taught to denounce Israel and praise the president. Largely told through Sero’s perspective,[3] the story reveals how “absurd nationalism”[4] can destroy community bonds.
- Serhed Khalil as Sero
- Zîrek[5] as teacher
- Jenan Mustafa as Sero’s mother
- Tina Marian as Hanna
- Jay Abdo as Jewish neighbor
The film was written and directed by Kurdish-Swiss filmmaker Mano Khalil, who based the story on his own childhood experiences near the Syrian–Turkish border.[6]
It was produced by Frame Film in collaboration with Pallas Film and MP Film Production.
Principal photography took place in Northern Kurdistan and Syria,[7] with post-production completed in Switzerland.
Cinematography was by Stéphane Kuthy, and editing by Maya Schmid.
Neighbours explores childhood under dictatorship, the repression of Kurdish identity, and the tension between state ideology and human coexistence.[8] Critics have noted its blend of tragedy and humor[9] and its compassionate tone in depicting multicultural life under political pressure.[10]
It was subsequently released theatrically in Switzerland and Germany in 2022 by Bernsteiner-Film[11], and distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Menemsha Films.[12]
The film received positive reviews from critics.
- The Jewish Film Review: “Very highly recommended”[1]
- St. Louis Jewish Light: “One of the year’s best Jewish-interest films…powerful, satiric punch in its chilling depiction of how hatred is taught” [13]
- Film Matters Magazine: When balloons were lifting early in the film, it was a “stunning tapestry of color against a darkening sky, symbolizing the ongoing Kurdish resistance.”[14]
- Out Now: “Nothing is trivialized from the child’s eyes…an oppressive and thought-provoking drama.”[15]
- Kurdistan Chronicle: “Humorous yet serious… providing light moments nestled between dark drama and dictatorship.”[9]
- Variety: “A tale with a remarkably upbeat tone”[6]
- Youth Jury Prize – Innsbruck International Film Festival (2022) [16]
- Utopia Prize, for spreading “the magic of utopia, of ‘non-place’, along with ideas such as discovery, soul-searching, dreaming, courage, solidarity, justice and beauty;”[17] Castellinaria Festival[18]
- Best Script Award, Red Sea International Film Festival[18]
- Best Film, Gangneung Film Festival[18]
- Film Critics Jury Prize, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, 2021[19]
- Audience Award, Boston Jewish Film Festival 2021[19]
- 2022 Young Jury Best Film, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival [20]
- ^ a b “Neighbours film review”. Jewish Film Review. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ^ Streitwieser, Lena (2025-02-07). “The Stunning Subtlety of Mano Khalil’s Neighbours (2021) Reviewed by Lena Streitwieser ⋆ Film Matters Magazine”. Film Matters Magazine. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ “Nachbarn”. www.filmdienst.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ^ Neighbours streaming: where to watch movie online?. Retrieved 2025-10-13 – via www.justwatch.com.
- ^ “Zîrek”, Wikipédia (in French), 2025-05-22, retrieved 2025-10-13
- ^ a b Tizard, Will (2021-11-04). “Kurdistan Story Pays Tribute to Community and Persistence at Camerimage”. Variety. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ^ “Neighbours | Cornell Cinema”. cinema.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ “On the border of Turkey and Syria, a Jewish family desperate to flee a rapidly-changing world”. The Forward. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ^ a b kurdistanchronicle. “Mano Khalil’s ‘Neighbours’ Reflects on Human Dignity”. kurdistanchronicle.com. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ^ “NEIGHBOURS – SLIFF Review”. We Are Movie Geeks. 2021-11-10. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
- ^ Neighbours, Feature Film, Drama, 2019-2021 | Crew United. Retrieved 2025-10-13 – via www.crew-united.com.
- ^ “Neighbours | Menemsha Films”. menemsha. Retrieved 2025-10-12.
- ^ “Hate and humanity seen through a child’s eyes in ‘Neighbours’“. St. Louis Jewish Light. 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ “The Stunning Subtlety of Mano Khalil’s Neighbours (2021)”. Film Matters Magazine. 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ “Filmkritik – Nachbarn (2021) – Movies – OutNow”. OutNow (in German). Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ “YOUTH JURY COMPETITION – International Film Festival Innsbruck – iffi.at”. iffi.at. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ “EVERYTHING-TASTES-STRANGE-TODAY”.
- ^ a b c “Neighbours – Festival del Cinema Africano, d’Asia e America Latina”. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ a b “Neighbours | Cornell Cinema”. cinema.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ HKAFF. “Neighbours – HKAFF – Hong Kong Asian Film Festival”. HKAFF. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
