Frankfurt Coincidences (2011)

Najila, Abdullah, Ana, Aidu and Udo Schmitz have one thing in common: They all live in the same old building in a district of Frankfurt which is rich in cultural diversity. Najila, the daughter of shopkeeper Abdullah Aydin, has worked in her father's store since she was a girl. She falls in love with Erik. Erik has a complicated relationship with his parents, as he refuses to follow in his father's footsteps as expected. He loves Najila. The secret lovers see each other only on weekends, as the cultural identity of neither permits a normal relationship. When Najila becomes pregnant, the young couple have to make a difficult decision. Ana's parents died when she was very young, and she grew up with her younger sister. She works as a prostitute, receiving clients in her apartment at night. She's trying to save money so her daughter can have a better life than she does. Financial problems from the past force her to leave Frankfurt unexpectedly. She escapes to her sister and daughter in Paris. Aidu, an immigrant from Zimbabwe whose presence is officially "tolerated" in Germany, suffers from psychological wounds left by the tyranny and torture he experienced in his home country. He's afraid of losing his residency status in Germany. When his application is rejected, Aidu flees to his brother in Paris. Udo Schmitz, a retired music professor, has lived alone in his flat in the same old building for 11 years now. Music is his only consolation after his wife's death. He plays her song on the piano every day. His son's family and Najila represent his only bridge to the outside world, but the other man would rather see his father in a home for senior citizens, as Udo's health is getting worse. However, Udo is unsure about submitting to his son's wishes. This is a movie about home, family and relationships. Snapshots of the individual characters and their conflicts meld so we can immerse ourselves in a world of multicultural collision.