"Papa, are you a terrorist?"

We spent several very fun, yet dark weeks in Hamburg, Germany (when you don’t get up before noon in December there, you don’t see much light) with a friend who grew up there years ago. Watching the dim, gray aerial views and port scenes of what we found to be an ultimately beautiful city in the Hitchcockian style, brought us back to those days. However, what followed was an unmistakable reminder that things have changed in Hamburg, as they have many places, in a post-9/11 world. We didn’t really know what to expect going into the film, whose German title Folgeschaden, we’ve been told translates into "damaging after-effects."

The film showcases a young couple, presumably in their thirties, who’ve seemingly already acknowledged and encountered the issues inherent in sharing their lives with someone of a different ethnicity and religion. When Tariq is suspected of being a "sleeper" in a Hamburg terrorism cell, it becomes apparent that the couple only touched the surface of the difficulties their relationship will face in the days to come. It is clear that Maya and Tariq have discussed issues relating to their young son and his religious upbringing, but not much more.

SFist Wendy, contributing.

Seeds of Doubt