The 727 Days Without Karamo

• Director: Anja Salomonowitz
• Theatrical Release Date:
• Festivals: Berlin International Film Festival

Synopsis: An Austrian woman has been forced to live alone with her children ever since her husband Karamo was deported to Africa. A man tries to instil hope in his Chinese wife that she will soon be allowed to return to Vienna. Others talk of the long wait for residence permits, of struggles with forms and offices, of German courses, income statements and domestic spot checks by the police which infer that their marriage is a sham. The complicated, state regulated reality experienced by various bi-national couples forms the basis for this formally unusual political documentary. Each protagonist appears just once, presenting his or her experiences in a clearly staged manner within highly stylised settings. Both their costumes and the locations they appear in are presented in shades of yellow throughout, with sound collages and fictionalising music representing a further creative intervention on the acoustic level. With the colour yellow serving as a linking mechanism, the various personal contributions form themselves into a fluid documentary account of the confrontation between love and restrictive immigration law. It is a story of madness with method. [Synopsis courtesy of Berlinale]