Sunday, April 10, 2011

German 302 Final Film Project.

My German 302 class required us to make a 10 minute video for our final project. The requirements included several different grammar pieces and the incorporation of themes we spoke about in class. My group decided to mix the themes of fairy tales and German-Turkish relations. The German-Turkish theme came from the controversial arguments by Thilo Sarrazin on German immigration. We tried to attack these issues respectfully, while still keeping it funny.



Here's the text (in English) in case you wanted to know what was being said:

Scene 1:

Isra: Yes, I'm taking that class next semester. Are you training this summer? Cool. I have to study for this exam. See ya’ tomorrow. Bye!

Dad: Who was that?

Isra: What?

Father: Your friend speaks Turkish, right?

Isra: Yes ...

Mother: Why did you speak German together? You are a Turk! You should speak Turkish! What a mistake!

Isra: But mom-

Father: Our heritage is in danger!

Isra: But it is easier to speak German. I speak only Turkish at home, but I speak German with my friends at school.

Father: It may be easier but our culture is more important! It's hard, but we have to do it. Always remember your identity, your people.

Mother: You're not German. You are Turkish.

Isra: I may be both, right?

Mother & Father: NO.

Scene 2:

Integrationsfee: Little girl, what's going on?

Isra: My parents are mad at me because I talk to my Turkish friends in German. They say that I am not a German but Turkish. My family came from Turkey, not Germany. My dad says I will forget my language and culture. I'm confused. But who are you?

Integrationsfee: I am the Integration Fairy! I help people who have problems with cultural conflicts.

Isra: Can you help me please? I do not know what to do. I am Turkish but I live in Germany but ... Am I really German or Turkish? What should I do?

Integrationsfee: Yes, yes; I want to help you! Hmmm ... your parents say it is bad to speak German? Why? You were born in Germany, you live here in Germany, you have German friends and go to a German school. Therefore it's good that you speak German.

Isra: But my parents -

Integrationsfee: No, speaking two languages ​​is totally cool. German will help at work and at university and in life here in Germany. Do you speak German?

Integrationsfee: I'll enchant you all your life to speak German well!

Isra: Thank you, Integration Fairy! I think that this will help. Yes ... why I'm worried? I can speak both Turkish and German without any problems. Thank you!

Integrationsfee: Isra, be brave!

Isra: You know my name?

Integrationsfee: Uh ... I got to go, bye!

Scene 3:

Mother: I cannot believe it! You want to go to another church?

Isra: Yes! But-

Father: That's silly! This is worrying!

Mother: Why?

Isra: A friend of mine goes to this church. He invited me. And why not? We went to the mosque on Friday, today is Sunday. Can’t I go to both?

Father: But you know these crazy Christians! They-they-they drink beer!

Isra: No, no, Dad, my friend is Mormon. He doesn’t drink beer. And he is very nice!

Father: The Christians are all the same!

Mother: Soon you'll forget to go to the mosque!

Father: You're becoming Christian!

Isra: May I go to the other church just once?

Scene 4:
Integrationsfee: Isra!
Iiissssssssrrrraaaaaaaaaaa ...

Isra: Integration Fairy, you called me?

Integrationsfee: Yes! What is wrong?

Isra: A German Mormon invited me to his church. I want to go with him, but my parents say that I can only go to the mosque. What do you think Integration Fairy?

Integrationsfee: Islam and the Mormonism have more in common than your parents think, Isra. If you attended the Mormon Church with your German friend on Sunday, you can feel and understand his faith better. And next week you can tell him about your church or invite him to the mosque.

Isra: Yes, we can share our cultures.

Integrationsfee: It is important to be tolerant, that is a good German virtue.

Isra: Thank you Integration Fairy. This helped me a lot. I will visit his church on Sunday.

Integrationsfee: I'm glad. Uh ... Isra .... can you help me with something? Do you have 500 euros?

Isra: Uh ... no. My family digs like silly [a funny idiomatic phrase, meaning works hard, that we learned in our class from this video], but we do not have much. Why?

Integrationsfee: I ... uh ... I simply need it. No problem, until later.

Isra: ... ok ... Good night!

Scene 5:

Mother: Ayda’s mother called me. Do you know what she said?

Isra: No ...?

Father: You know what we’re talking about!

Isra: I do not know!

Mother: You have a German boyfriend! The boy with whom you went to church!

Father: He is Mormon! There are so many nice Turkish boys!

Mother: I had the perfect Turkish suitor picked out for you! Now he won’t want to marry you! You will never marry!

Isra: But I like him! You would like him too if you met him.

Father: That will never happen!

Mother: You will end up dead. Or worse, pregnant! Oh, what will the neighbors think!

Father: Now look what you did to your poor mother! You have shamed our family.

Isra: Why can you not trust me? He is very nice and has good morals! I will not do anything stupid. I'm sorry, but I will not break up with him just because he does not fit your idea of ​​the perfect man for me. Life is not merely about one’s heritage. I am my own person and must be my own decisions.

Scene 6:

Isra: Integration Fairy! Integration Fairy! Where are you? I listened to you! I am myself, but I will not forget my Turkish culture. Integration Fairy...?

Integrationsfee: Well done!

Isra: Where are you? I cannot see you!

Integrationsfee: Shhhhhh! Quiet!

Police: Franz Grübermeier! You are arrested for trespassing, stalking, loitering, harassment, frequent corruption of minors, and resisting arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.