Exile Family Movie

20 years ago the Persian filmmaker Arash emigrated from Iran to Austria with his father, mother and little sister. Many other extended family members ended up in the West, while others stayed behind. Despite the distance between them, the family’s ties to each other still remained strong. Exile Family Movie tells the bittersweet story of a family torn apart by politics, scattered across continents, divided by cultures and their attempt to come together for their first true family reunion in decades. Arash’s film charts his risky journey to Mecca to take part in the family get together. He and other exiled family members had to pretend to be Muslim pilgrims in order to avoid suspicion from the authorities, and he had to keep his camera hidden from them at all times. The eventual family meeting is shown in emotional scenes, filled with tears and laughter. This is both a personal and universal story of family love, of what unites and divides us. (DOK.fest München)