We Are Young. We Are Strong.

In his follow-up to Berlin Competition debut SHAHADA, Burhan Qurbani grippingly explores the driving forces of xenophobia during the violent riots in freshly reunited Germany.

WE ARE YOUNG. WE ARE STRONG. recounts the incident of violent xenophobic riots in Rostock in 1992 from the perspectives of three very different characters. LIEN is a Vietnamese woman who settled in Germany, but at the end of the day she will be fighting for her life wondering if the place she called home could ever be one for her. STEFAN and his friends are part of the night's violent turmoil. Young and angry, bored during the daytime, they look forward to the nightly riots and clashes with the police and foreigners. Unable to cope with his grief at the loss of a friend, Stefan gets lost in a circle of violence. Stefan's father MARTIN is an ambitious local politician, trapped in a dilemma: does he advance his career or stand up for his ideals and take responsibility, which includes that for his son?