The Turtle’s Rage

When director Pary El-Qalqili was 12 years old, her Palestinian father left his German wife and children in Berlin and returned to Palestine. Years later, he turned up on their doorstep, and now lives in the basement of their small row house, lonely, withdrawn “in his turtle’s shell,” and filled with rage.

In this tender and sorrowful film, the filmmaker strives to understand her estranged father, even embarking with him on a road trip to meet family members spread all over the Middle East.

The Turtle’s Rage tells the story of a mysterious man whose life has been molded by flight, expulsion, and exile.