Film
The Namesake
Trans-Borders
The films in the Trans-Borders section of the programme tell of the many frontier crossings immigrants make before finally reaching their new home. In New York, the traditions and views these immigrants bring with them undergo a transformation. It is the collective result of this process that gives the city its polyphonic fascination.
The Namesake
D: Mira Nair, USA 2006, 122 min, German subtitles
Using a language of images, Indian-American director Mira Nair creates a nuanced portrayal of two generations of a family of Indian immigrants in New York. The journey between the two worlds leads from Calcutta of the 1970s up to the present and poses the question: Where and what is home? Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri.