EIN STUCK HEIMAT

In Germany, there are hundreds of young defectors from various

South-Asian countries such as including Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan
and Sri Lanka. Those defectors are under 18 and they move out from
their countries because of different reasons such as war, religion and
freedom in general. They also share something in common: cricket.
After the British colonization, cricket became to be more than a sport
for those countries. Its almost like a religion for the people who are
living in those countries.
Young defectors are given the right to stay in Germany until they
are 18. After 18, they either are sent back to their countries or stay for
longer which does not happen so often. They have to learn German,
live in a cleaning house and only if they qualify the requirements of
German laws, they can stay for longer. In that period, they often go to
court and try to defend themselves. It is a very hard process as those
people are so young. They mostly live alone without their parents and
they are not allowed to travel outside of the state of Germany they are
staying.
In Bielefeld, in 2013, a cricket team name Shanti Tigers Bielefeld
is founded with the helps of Kristin Nahrmann and it is now a member
of German Cricket Federation. They have trainings once a week and
also they play friendly matches with neighbor cities like Dortmund. The
team consists of around 20 guys and almost %90 of them is under 18.
The team does not have a playing ground but it is developing fast.
They had their official uniforms days ago.
Mahmood is both the trainer and a player of the team. He is 28
years old living in Bielefeld for around 12 years and he has a daughter.
Brian is the head of the team who is from London. He teaches the
players and gives them the tactics. Ahmet is the team captain who is
19 years old. He believes that they are a great team and Shanti Tigers
is going to be very successful in Germany. The players are all from
South-Asian countries but Mahmood adds that their doors are wide
open especially for Germans, too. Brian believes that cricket plays a
key role for those defectors to integrate into the life in Germany. Sajid
says, when I play cricket, I am feeling at home and Rafa thinks that
cricket makes him forget all the troubles he is in.
The documentary tries to mirror that cricket team. There are
interviews not only with each player but also the head of language
school they go to and the head of the cleaning house where they live.
The documentary is not about a cricket game but more about how
those people live. It is about longing for home, loneliness, immigration,
integration and CRICKET.