Beating Heart

About the film

The film depicts the story of a family that fled to Europe from the war in Syria. Seven years of living in a European city will overwrite the security that faith and traditions gave them. The eldest son, the most damaged by the war, tries to break away from his family. He does not respect the family traditions or the faith in which he was brought up. He likes to talk to his friends and especially to his girlfriend, whom he keeps from his parents. In contrast to his older brother, the second-born son withdraws into himself and, as a deeply religious Muslim, rejects the values of the society in which he is growing up. The mother is tempted by freedom and the opportunities for education for women. The teenage daughter can walk around without a hijab. Together with their European friends, the children ask why the Koran forbids non-heterosexual love or sex change. Fear, sadness, uprooting, and uncertainty alternate with gratitude for curing the sick heart of one of their sons, for education and self-realization. The film is a universal search for the truth, a declaration of love, and a dramatic and painful coming-of-age story. The life stories of the parents and their children, who each cope differently with the new environment and traditions, show a parable that reminds us of everything we know intimately. It opens up stories through which we understand ourselves and others.