Neighbours

Director: Mano Khalil
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Received around 50 awards and was screened at over 60 film festivals
Screened in Swiss theaters for over three months
Held its world premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival
Neighbours Poster
2021/ Switzerland124 min/ Drama, Coming of age
Original Title
Nachbarn
SYNOPSIS
Set during Hafez al-Assad’s regime in the 1980s, in a small village on the Turkish-Syrian border, Sero, a Kurdish child, must deal with how his small world is radically changing through the phase of absurd nationalism.
CAST
Serhed Khalil
Jalal Altawil
Jay Abdo
Mazen Al Natour

CREW

Screenwriter: Mano Khalil
DOP: Stéphane Kuthy
Editor: Thomas Bachmann

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Production Company(ies)
Frame Films
Producer(s)

Mano Khalil

film festivals
Shanghai International Film Festival, China
Gangneung International Film Festival, South Korea
Camerimage International Film Festival, Poland
Alekino Film Festival, Poland
Emden Film Festival, Germany
Cinéalma Film Festival, France
Zlin International Film Festival, Czech Republic
Braunschweig International Film Festival, Germany
Warsaw Jewish Film Festival, Poland
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, US
Hof International Film Festival, Germany
Bastau International Film Festival, Kazakhstan
Red Sea International Film Festival, Saudi Arabia
Olympia International Film Festival, Greece
Terni Film Festival, Italy
Palm Springs International Film Festival, US
New York Jewish Film Festival, US
Vienna Jewish Film Festival, Austria
Festival de Cinema Jeue de Barcelona, Spain
Cleveland Jewish Film Festival, US
Victoria International Jewish Film Festival, Canada
Virginia Film Festival, US
San Luis Obispo Jewish Film Festival, US
Miami Jewish Film Festival, US
International Children's Film Festival, Bangladesh
Bozen International Film Festival, Italy
Innsbruck Int. Film Festival, Austria
Der Neue Heimatfilm Festival, Austria
New York Kurdish Film Festival, US
Amsterdam Kurdish Film Festival, Netherlands
Rotterdam Arab Film Festival, Netherlands
Hollywood Arab Film Festival, US
MiWorld Young Film Festival, Spain
Paris Kurdish film festival, France
AmiCorti International Film Festival, Italy
Toronto Japanese Film Festival, Canada
Busan Children Film festival, South Korea
Seoul International Children Film Festival, South Korea
International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Russia
Imagine India International Film Festival, Spain
African Asian Latin American Film Festival, Spain
Boston Film Festival, US
Mons International Film Festival, Belgium
Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland
Religion Today Film Festival, Italy
Castellinaria International Film Festival, Switzerland
Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival, US
London Kurdish Film Festival, UK
Meta Film Festival, Dubai
Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong
Solothurn Film Festival, Switzerland
Popoli e Religioni Terni Film Festival, Italy
film awards
San Francisco Film Critics Award for Best Movie
Audience Award at Emden Film Festival
Best Movie at the Gangneung Film Festival
Best Movie at the Religion Today Film Festival
Best Film at the CineAlma Film Festival
Special Jury Mention at the Warsaw Jewish Film Festival
Premio Utopia at the Castellinaria International Film Festival
Best Screenplay at the Red Sea International Film Festival
Human Values Award at the Olympia International Film Festival
European Values Award at the Olympia International Film Festival
Angel for Best Film & Critics Award at the Terni Film Festival
Audience Award at the Boston Jewish Film Festival
Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival
Audience Award and Grand Prix at the Mons International Film Festival
Teacher Jury Award, Audience Award, and Best Movie Award at the MiWorld Milano International Film Festival
Best Actor and Best Movie at the Hollywood Arab Film Festival
Best Movie Award at the International Film Festival for Children and Youth
Südwind-Preis der Jugendjury at the Innsbruck Film Festival
Best Script Award and Best Movie Award at the Amicorti International Film Festival
Best Actor Award “Serhed Khalil” Rolle Sero
Best Director Award at the Rotterdam Arab International Film Festival
Best Directors Award at the Seoul International Children's Film Festival
Best Film, Audience Award, and Jury of Teachers Award at the African Asian Latin American Film Festival in Milan
Young Jury Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival
Quotes
“Every scene in Mano Khalil's film narrates a story that its parts integrate, creating a poetic and heartbreaking celluloid.”
Ibrahim Hajj — Eremnews

“With a blend of sarcasm and laughter, NEIGHBORS portrays the absurdity of war through the eyes of a child who eventually finds light in a dark doubtful dictatorial world.”
Khaled Mahmoud — Shorouk News

“A rich script that crosses boundaries between documentary and narration.”
Elhayat Alarabiya

“NEIGHBOURS is both a touching, warm human tale laced with humor and childhood appeal, and a pointed satiric look at the roots of hate, not just in Syria.”
Cate Marquis — We are Movie Geeks