Tracing Addai
Documentary, Animation, Short Film
29m54s, DCP, 25fps, 16:9
B/W & Colour
German Original with English Subtitles
Based on archive footage, the animated documentary TRACING ADDAI approaches a young man in his early 20’s who leaves everything behind in Germany with the intention of helping. In 2013, Addai joins a Salafist group in Syria. The encounter between Addai's mother and Ilias, a returnee from Syria, gives rise to individual lines by means of which the story of the son and comrade can be traced in fragments.
Cast
Kais Setti, Benito Bause
Team
Director Esther Niemeier
Producer Britta Strampe
Script Esther Niemeier, Sarah-Christin Peter, Britta Strampe
Director of Photography Omri Aloni
Animation Gregor Dashuber, Inês Gomes Ferreira, Anne Isensee, Jan Koester, Laurine Kotte, Sonja Rohleder, Deniz Zagali
Production Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF in Co-Production with Berlin Brandenburg Broadcasting (RBB)
Synopsis
"I didn't leave because I wanted to get away from you, remember that," Addai sends in an email to his mother, six weeks after he disappeared from one day to the next. She emails him back, "I need you here, or at least somewhere safe." Her son emigrated to Syria. She has been searching for answers in vain ever since. Until she receives a letter through a lawyer. His client Ilias is in prison, convicted of supporting a terrorist organisation abroad. Ilias wants to meet Addai's mother and writes to her: "One thing you must believe, we left with good intentions."
Awards & Festivals
Emmy Awards News & Doc 2020 * Nominee Outstanding New Approaches for Documentary
Student Academy Award 2018 * Finalist Foreign Documentary
First Steps Award 2018 * Nominee Best Documentary and Best Production (NO FEAR Award)
Tampere Film Festival 2018 * Audience Award of the International Competition
International Student Film Festival Sehsüchte 2018 * Best Production
Docaviv International Shorts Competition 2018 * Best Short
Open Eyes Marburg 2018 * 1st Documentary Audience Award
Shortynale Klosterneuburg 2018 * Special Jury Award
Milano Film Festival 2018 * Audience Award
Konstanzer kurz.film.spiele 2018 * Audience Award
video/film tage Mainz 2018 * Sonderpreis der Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung
Nordische Filmtage Lübeck 2018 * CineStar-Preis für den besten Kurzfilm
FILMZ Mainz 2018 * Bester Dokumentarfilm
ZINEBI Bilbao 2018 * MIKELDI Award for Best Short Animation Film
FIKE International Short Film Festival of Évora 2018 * Best Documentary
Poitiers Film Festival 2018 * Prix Amnesty International
Festival du Court Métrage de Clermont-Ferrand 2019 * Best Animation Film
Filmtage Friedrichshafen 2019 * Jurypreis
Landshuter Kurzfilmtage 2019 * Bester Dokumentarfilm
Shorts Offenburg Trinationales Filmfestival Oberrhein 2019 * Bester Dokumentarfilm
Independent Days Karlsruhe 2019 * Roncalli-Forum-Filmpreis
Achtung Berlin! New Berlin Film Award 2019 * Bester Dokumentarfilm (mittellanger Film)
filmzeitkaufbeuren 2019 * Preis der dokufilmzeit
dokumentART European Film Festival 2019 * Latücht-Preis des Ministeriums für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur des Landes Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
