2021 marked the 60th anniversary of the labour agreement between Germany and Türkiye. There is so much up for debate on how life has changed both for those who settled in Germany under this agreement, and those who invited them. One prominent channel of change has undoubtedly pushed through the realm of music. In this documentary, director Cem Kaya takes a look at the culture of music immigrants from Türkiye produced in Germany, meticulously combing through archives put together over the years and bringing some long-forgotten recordings back to light. Back in 1982, the Berlin post-punk band Ideal had recorded a song, based on immigrant writer Aras Ören’s poem “Aşk, Mark ve Ölüm”. The documentary, named after the poem and the ensuing song, includes artists of legendary stature both in Türkiye and Germany such as Cem Karaca, Yüksel Özkasap, Derdiyoklar and Erci E., as well as musicians who are predominantly known in Germany, such as İsmet Topçu, Cavidan Ünal, Hatay Engin

Berlin 2022

Panorama Documentary - Audience Award