Jibril

At a party, Maryam and Jibril exchange glances. Years later, Maryam happens to meet the same young man again when she is asked to deliver a parcel to someone in prison. The recipient is none other than Jibril, who is serving a sentence of several years. The attraction between this single mother-of-three and the inmate is just as strong as it was when they first met. Maryam plunges enthusiastically into an initially largely platonic romance, which on the one hand may satisfy certain longings on both sides, yet on the other also awakens desire. But having a relationship with someone who isn’t there and who doesn't participate in her life, and who she can’t even really get to know, is a challenge for Maryam. Jibril too finds his situation as a prisoner increasingly difficult to bear.
Henrika Kull stages the intimate scenes of her first dramatic feature in impressively naturalistic close-ups and, utilising the particular situation of her two protagonists, raises a big question: when exactly do you really know someone – or do you just fall in love with your dream of being in love?
by Henrika Kull
with Susana Abdulmajid, Malik Adan, Doua Rahal, Emna El-Aouni, Regina Schulte am Hülse, Tobias Müller-Monning
Germany 2018 German, Arabic 83’ Colour

With

  • Susana Abdulmajid (Maryam)
  • Malik Adan (Gabriel)
  • Doua Rahal (Sus)
  • Emna El-Aouni (Sadah)
  • Regina Schulte am Hülse (Maggi)
  • Tobias Müller-Monning (Priest)

Crew

Written and Directed by Henrika Kull
Cinematography Carolina Steinbrecher
Editing Henrika Kull
Sound Tarek Soltani, Louis Marioth, Niklas Kammertöns
Sound Mixing Martin Steyer
Music Dascha Dauenhauer
Production Design Theresa Reiwer
Costumes Wiebke Lebus
Casting Henrika Kull
Assistant Director Benjamin Cantu
Assistant Editor Benedikt Strick
Line Producer Andrea Wohlfeil
Production Management Sophie Lakow
Producers Henrika Kull, Sophie Lakow, Carolina Steinbrecher

Produced by

Filmuniversität Babelsberg Konrad Wolf

http://www.filmuniversitaet.de http://www.filmuniversitaet.de

Henrika Kull

Born in southern Germany in 1984, she studied sociology in Cologne. After writing her diploma thesis on the sociology of film, she took up a degree in film production at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) in 2012. In 2014, she began studying directing at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf under tutors including Barbara Albert, for whom she was also an assistant. Her feature-length graduation film Jibril premiered in the 2018 Panorama and won several awards including the Studio Hamburg Newcomer Award for Best Film. She was a member of the jury for the Heiner Carow Prize during the 2019 Berlinale.

Filmography (selection)

2014 Rite of Spring; short film · Intimate Distance; short film 2016 Absently Present; short documentary 2017 Rosinen; short film 2018 Jibril 2021 Glück

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2021