Herkunft

Summary

Where You Come From

Based on the novel by Saša Stanišić, the film unfolds as a deeply personal family story told from the perspective of a first-person narrator. It weaves together memories of fleeing the breakup of Yugoslavia with the experience of growing up in Germany. Moving fluidly between past and present, the story touches on the narrator's recollections of his grandmother Kristina, who is living with dementia; the lingering trauma of the Yugoslav wars; and the challenges of adolescence while trying to build a new life in Heidelberg. At its heart, the film explores questions of belonging and identity. Two return journeys to the family’s home village of Oskoruša ultimately open a window onto their roots, and the historical ruptures that shaped the lives of parents and grandparents alike.