Burhan Qurbani


Burhan Qurbani is a German film director, writer and actor of Afghan origin. His directing, writing, and acting works include Shahada, 20xBrandenburg, and Illusion. His modern day adaption of Alfred Döblin's modern classic novel Berlin Alexanderplatz was selected for the main competition of the 2020 Berlin International Filmfestival.

Notable works

''Shahada''

Shahada is a 2010 German drama film which narrates the fates of three German-born Muslims in Berlin who collide as they struggle to find middle ground between faith and modern life in western society. The film was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.

''20xBrandenburg''

20xBrandenburg is an October 2010, Krieger ohne feind German TV documentary directed by Burhan Qurbani.

''We Are Young. We Are Strong''

We Are Young. We Are Strong is a 2014 German drama film directed by Qurbani, a fictionalized account of the 1992 xenophobic Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots. It was one of eight films shortlisted by Germany to be their submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, but it lost out to Labyrinth of Lies.

''Berlin Alexanderplatz''

Awards

The awards won by Qurbani include
Qurbani is from Afghanistan and belongs to the Hazara ethnic group. His family moved to Germany during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.