To a Land Unknown, directed by Mahdi Fleifel, is a feature fiction film produced in 2024. The film is part of the 2025 ALFILM selection and was screened as the festival's opening film at HAU (Hebbel am Ufer Theater) in the heart of Berlin.
The film narrates the story of Chatila and Reda, two Palestinian refugees surviving precariously in Athens, trying to attain fake passports and make their way to Germany. Their situation mirrors the fate of countless refugees stranded in EU border states like Greece and Italy, or neighboring countries such as Turkey. A reality faced by many from Southwest Asia, from Syrians after the outbreak of the civil war in 2015, to Afghan citizens fleeing political instability and socio-political turmoil. The Afghan and Iranian communities, for instance, have coined the expression "playing the game" to describe their attempts to reach Europe through land or sea. This expression, "the game," unveils the devastating and frightening reality of these refugees living under the most difficult conditions in these corridor-like, liminal spaces, referring to their legitimate attempt to escape and their search for a better life as a "game" that might have to be played multiple times, each time risking their lives.
In this context, To a Land Unknown — or more fittingly, الی عالم مجهول, the original Arabic title — captures the ambivalence and vulnerability embedded in the words عالم (world, realm) and مجهول (unknown, unclear) and places the story and fate of Chatila and Reda, two Palestinian refugees, at the center of its narrative.
The opening quote by Edward Said unveils plenty:
"In a way, it’s sort of the fate of Palestinians not to end up where they started, but somewhere unexpected and far away."
This captures the condition many Palestinians have endured: displacement, a discarded past, and a future without perspective. Said’s words embody the ongoing, perpetual, and tedious reality of homelessness and alienation, reflected in the story of Chatila and Reda.
In an early sequence of the film, we witness Chatila and Reda robbing a woman in a park, only to find a few euros in her purse. Their living situation is precarious, and the only way they can gather the money needed to obtain their fake passports is through criminal activities. The film creates an intimate portrait of Chatila, the main character, driven by his goal to reach Germany and his pragmatism to do anything possible to achieve that goal. In contrast, Reda is helpless; his drug addiction makes him dissociate from his predicament while often putting their plans in jeopardy. The contrast between Chatila’s determination and Reda’s vulnerabilities creates a tension that runs throughout the film. The film creates nuanced character portraits through genuine moments of humor and social interaction between the protagonists. On a technical level, the dynamic camera work creates a strong sense of proximity to the characters from the very beginning.
The introduction of a little Palestinian boy into the plot exposes the characters' more humane sides. In certain moments, the audience is given the possibility to empathize with Chatila and Reda. In this context, the audience is constantly confronted with the moral and personal dilemmas the characters must face to achieve their escape.
Throughout the film, we see how harsh realities have forced the protagonists into becoming part of the very system that victimizes them — a system that deems them illegal, pushes them to the margins, and leaves them with few choices. Chatila’s calculated exploitation of others and Reda’s helplessness both reveal how survival can turn people into agents of the same violence they are suffering from themselves.
The film provides insight into the vicious cycle in which they are trapped, while introducing complex, real individuals. The stylized camerawork is not only beautiful but also succeeds in immersing us in the story and the motives and thoughts of the characters. The numerous half-close-ups of Chatila and Reda in their solitude, smoking cigarettes, as well as the genuine and playful interactions between the protagonists, are particularly remarkable.
Coming out of the film, one audience member said during a conversation, "From the very beginning, the film gave me a heavy, pressing feeling." This is true — in many ways, the film weighs heavily on the viewer from the start. One could argue it is easy to anticipate what destiny awaits these two characters, but their depressing, failed quest to reach Germany becomes almost secondary. The film’s strength lies in exposing us to nuanced, considerate yet brutally honest portraits of their fates — a fate many people still share to this day.
As the opening film of the festival, To a Land Unknown sets a strong tone for the discourse that unfolds during ALFILM 2025. It brings the destiny of two Palestinians to the forefront and thematizes the Palestinian condition, which will inevitably remain an important element throughout the festival. Beyond that, the film’s nuanced and detailed character studies touch upon collective feelings of displacement within Arab diaspora communities.
One could also ask: Does the film itself perpetuate the image of Arabs as victims, or does it provide an alternative perspective to the audience? Is it even the role of films like To a Land Unknown to fulfill such a task — to bring alternatives to the forefront?
All in all, the film sets a strong tone for what ALFILM 2025 has to offer. The festival’s official spotlight section title is CANCELED FUTURES – ENDLESS PASTS, and To a Land Unknown encompasses this motto perfectly.
