Neighbours
Neighbours - Feature film by Mano Khalil. 124 minutes, 2021. The most successful film by Frame Film with over 70 international awards.
Synopsis
Syria in the 1980s. In a small village on the Syrian-Turkish border, six-year-old Sero grows up with his Kurdish family. His childhood is marked by everyday joys and worries, but also by life under the regime of Hafiz al-Assad. With the innocent curiosity of a child, Sero observes the adult world while the regime does everything to suppress Kurdish identity. When a Jewish family moves into the neighboring house, a deep friendship begins between the children – across all boundaries. An autobiographical film by Mano Khalil about childhood, friendship, and tolerance in difficult times.
Trailer
Awards
- San Francisco Film Critics Award – Best Movie, USA 2021
- Berner Filmpreis – Best Feature Film, Switzerland 2021
- SCORE Bernhard Wicki 2nd Prize – Audience Award, Emden Film Festival 2021
- Best Movie – Gangneung Film Festival, South Korea 2021
- Best Film – SIGNIS Film Award, Religion Today Film Festival, Italy 2021
- Best Film Award – CineAlma Film Festival, France 2021
- Best Film Award – Terni Film Festival, Italy 2021
- Best Film Award – Middle East Now Festival, Florence 2021
- Best Film Award – Arab Cinema Center Awards 2021
- Grand Prix – Int. Film Festival Troia, Portugal 2021
- Audience Award – International Filmfest Oldenburg 2021
- Special Jury Mention – Warsaw Jewish Film Festival, Poland 2021
- Premio Utopia – Castellinaria International Film Festival, Switzerland 2021
- Best Script Award – Red Sea International Film Festival, Saudi Arabia 2021
- Human Values Award – Best Movie, Greek Parliament, Olympia IFF, Greece 2021
- European Values Award – Best Movie, European Parliament, Olympia IFF, Greece 2021
- Angel for Best Film & Critics Award – Terni Film Festival, Italy 2021
- Audience Award – Boston Jewish Film Festival, USA 2021
- Audience Award – Spokane Jewish Cultural Film Festival, USA 2022
- Grand Prix – Best Feature Film, Mons International Film Festival 2022
- Audience Award – Mons International Film Festival 2022
- Best Movie – MiWorld Milano IFF 2022
- Audience Award – MiWorld Milano IFF 2022
- Teacher Jury Award – MiWorld Milano IFF 2022
- Best Movie – Hollywood Arab Film Festival 2022
- Best Actor – Hollywood Arab Film Festival 2022
- Best Movie Award – II International Film Festival «Hero», Krasnoyarsk 2022
- Südwind Award of Youth Jury – Innsbruck Film Festival, Austria 2022
- Best Film – Amicorti International Film Festival, Italy 2022
- Best Script – Amicorti International Film Festival, Italy 2022
- Best Actor «Serhed Khalil» (Role: Sero) – Amicorti International Film Festival, Italy 2022
- Best Director – Rotterdam Arab International Film Festival, Netherlands 2022
- Best Director Award – Seoul International Children Film Festival, South Korea 2022
- Audience Award – Toronto TJFF, Canada 2022
- Best Movie – Moscow International Kurdish Film Festival 2022
- Best Movie Award – Imago International Film Festival, Italy 2022
- Best Script Award – Imago International Film Festival, Italy 2022
- Audience Award – Neue Heimat International Film Festival, Austria 2022
- Jury Special Award – Neue Heimat International Film Festival, Austria 2022
- SIGNIS Premio Especial del Jurado – FICiP, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2022
- Mención Especial – International Jury, FICiP, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2022
- Leo Award – Best Movie, Kunstfilmfest Schwerin, Germany 2022
- Best Movie – Imagine India IFF, Madrid, Spain 2022
- Best Script – Imagine India IFF, Madrid, Spain 2022
- Best Editing – Imagine India IFF, Madrid, Spain 2022
- Best Music – Imagine India IFF, Madrid, Spain 2022
- Best Children Actor – Imagine India IFF, Madrid, Spain 2022
- Youth Jury Award – Best Movie, FAMECK International Arab Film Festival, Metz, France 2022
- Jury Award – Best Movie, META Film Festival, Dubai, UAE 2022
- Young Jury Award – Best Movie, Hong Kong Asia Film Festival 2022
- Best Movie Award – Oslo Arab Film Days 2022
- Best Movie – Santiago de Chile Largos IFF, Chile 2023
- Special Jury Award – International Film and Human Rights Film Festival, Barcelona, Spain 2023
- Honorable Mention – International Children Care Film Festival, Paris 2023
- Norwegian Film Critics Award – Haugesund International Film Festival 2023
- Grand Prix Maestrale – Best Movie, Babel International Film Festival, Cagliari, Italy 2023
- Best Movie – Amazigh International Film Festival, Agadir, Morocco 2023
- Best Actor «Serhed Khalil» – Amazigh International Film Festival, Agadir, Morocco 2023
- Best Actress – Amazigh International Film Festival, Agadir, Morocco 2023
- Best Movie – Düsseldorf Kurdish Film Festival 2024
- Best Camera – Amed Film Festival 2025
- Ostana Award 2025
...and over 20 additional recognition awards
Technical Details
| Genre | Feature Film, Drama |
| Year | 2021 |
| Length | 124 Min. |
| Format | DCP |
| Language | Kurdish / Arabic |
| Subtitles | German, English, French |
| Production | Frame Film, Mano Khalil |
| Co-produced with | Swiss Radio and Television SRF, ARTE |
| Director, Screenplay | Mano Khalil |
| Camera | Steff Bossert |
| Editing | Thomas Bachmann |
| Music | Mario Batkovic |
| Sound Mix | Rolf Büttikofer |