dir. Noaz Deshe | Germany, France | 2024 | 99’

Polish premiere

Claustrophobic eeriness and surreal dreams from which not everyone is lucky enough to wake up.

Palestinian-Syrian teenager Nasser and his older brother Yassin have been living in a Greek refugee camp, awaiting a decision on their asylum application. They pass the time recording comedy sketches, fantasizing of making zombie films and moving to Sweden. Nasser, however, feels increasingly trapped in this no-man’s-land. With nowhere to escape, boiling tensions in the camp push Nasser to another world.

"Xoftex" was created based on the testimonies of refugees from the Softex camp in Greece, where Noaz Deshe spent several years volunteering and through a series of workshops held within the camp. This surreal mockumentary blends elements of fantasy with striking visual effects, effectively balancing horror and documentary styles. It emphasizes that any act of creation in such precarious circumstances is a powerful way to take control of one's narrative.

NOAZ DESHE – born in Romania, Berlin-based director, DOP and musician. He composed the soundtrack of Babak Jalali’s “Frontier Blues” (2009), and was the cinematographer of the Tiger winner – “Radio Dreams” (2016). His debut feature film “White Shadow” (2013) about the hunting of a young Albino won the Lion of the Future Award at Venice Film Festival and was showcased at Sundance Film Festival. “Xoftex” (2024) is his second feature film. In addition to his artistic work, he has worked as a volunteer on sea rescue missions and in refugee camps.