2024 | Dokumentary | 30′

Nah dran: Deutsch genug? Fremd und daheim im Osten

In East Germany, far fewer people have a migration background compared to the West. Those who don’t look traditionally German or speak a different language tend to stand out more. This film explores how people find their place while navigating between feeling like an outsider and belonging: a young man with Vietnamese roots born in the Ore Mountains, a Syrian refugee family opening a bookstore in Erfurt, and the residents of a communal housing facility in Saalfeld, Thuringia.
When do you truly belong?
Duc Pham
Duc Pham was born in Saxony, in a small town called Bad Schlema. His parents came to East Germany as contract workers. Although he grew up in a typically East German environment—filled with GDR children’s songs and traditional Ore Mountain candle arches—he always felt the need to make himself invisible in order to fit in.
Looking back, he realizes this instinctive behavior was a way of shielding himself from racism. Today, Duc is 33 and lives in Berlin, but he can’t shake his connection to his roots. The documentary follows him on a journey into his past: from his efforts to avoid standing out on the streets of Zwickau to his current life as a visual artist and performer.
Nader Raslan und Siba Biri

For Nader Raslan and Siba Biri, the story is different. The Syrian couple fled to Erfurt in 2017, hoping to build a life there. They have applied for German citizenship and are pursuing a dream: opening the first Arabic bookstore in Thuringia. For Nader and Siba, the store is more than just a business—it’s a statement that they refuse to hide. It’s also a space for connection, bringing together the Arabic community in Thuringia and interested Germans alike. But not everyone has welcomed their dream with open arms.

A life caught between hostility and support.

“Nah dran” tackles the fundamental question of what truly matters in life. People share their stories, their struggles, and what drives them.

Executive Producers
Roxana Hennig
Gunnar Dedio

A production by
LOOKS Media

Commissioned by
MDR

Creative Producer
Paula Willert

Written & directed by
Katharina Vorndran

Commissioning Editors
Anja Weber (Leitung, MDR)
Jochen Vinzelberg (MDR)

Production Manager
Anne Tiede
Alexandra Dorn (MDR)