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I‘Tikaaf

Name: I‘Tikaaf
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2022
Duration: 32 min

2022 · 0h 32m · Documentary

Watch this tonight if you want a genuinely human story about displacement and resilience—this intimate documentary follows two refugees through six months of church sanctuary with unflinching honesty and compassion. It's a quiet, powerful film that does what documentaries do best: make you see the world through someone else's eyes. Skip it only if you're looking for entertainment over empathy.

Plot

I’tikaaf (Arabic: اعتكاف) – “a practice of isolating oneself for a certain number of days, in order to reflect and stay away from worldly affairs” For six months Ahmad and Bilal have been living with Pastor Klaus Wening, unable to leave the house. The film accompanies their time in church asylum, waiting for news about their asylum process in Germany. I’tikaaf tells a story of exile and community, by documenting one station on the long journey of refugees, leaving their home.

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