Burhan Qurbani
Burhan Qurbani (Dari: برهان قربانی) (born in Erkelenz on 15 November 1980) is a German film director, writer and actor of Afghan origin. His directing, writing, and acting works include Shahada (2010), 20xBrandenburg (2010 TV documentary), and Illusion (2007 short film). His modern day adaption of Alfred Döblin's modern classic novel Berlin Alexanderplatz was selected for the main competition of the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival.
Burhan Qurbani

Martin Kraft · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Born
- 1980 · Erkelenz.
- Nationality
- Germany · Afghanistan
- Occupation
- screenwriter · actor · filmmaker · director
- Fields
- film direction · film screenwriting · acting
- Education
- Film Academy Baden-Württemberg
- Languages
- German
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Burhan Qurbani (Dari: برهان قربانی) (born in Erkelenz on 15 November 1980) is a German film director, writer and actor of Afghan origin. His directing, writing, and acting works include Shahada (2010), 20xBrandenburg (2010 TV documentary), and Illusion (2007 short film). His modern day adaption of Alfred Döblin's modern classic novel Berlin Alexanderplatz was selected for the main competition of the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival.
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In this article
Shahada
Shahada
His 2025 film No Beast. So Fierce, which is loosely based on Shakespeare's drama Richard III but focusses on a strong woman in the leading role, had its premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in Berlinale Special section on 14 February 2025. It will be released on 8 May 2025 in the German theaters.
Shahada is a 2010 German drama film which narrates the fates of three German-born Muslims in Berlin whose paths collide as they struggle to find a middle ground between faith and modern life in western society. The film was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.
20xBrandenburg
20xBrandenburg
20xBrandenburg is a 16-minute German TV documentary directed by Qurbani, released in October 2010.
We Are Young. We Are Strong
We Are Young. We Are Strong
We Are Young. We Are Strong (in German, Wir sind jung. Wir sind stark) is a 2014 German drama film directed by Qurbani, a fictionalized account of the 1992 xenophobic Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots. It was one of eight films shortlisted by Germany to be their submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, but it lost out to Labyrinth of Lies.
Personal life
Personal life
Qurbani is from Afghanistan and belongs to the Hazara ethnic group. His family moved to Germany during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Awards
The awards won by Qurbani include Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas for Shahada (2010) film Jury Award (Made in Hamburg), including the 2008 German Film Critics Prize for the short film Illusion (2007).
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Burhan Qurbani. IMDb.
- 2.Kiang, Jessica. 'Berlin Alexanderplatz': Film Review. Variety. 2020-02-26.
- 3.Davide Abbatescianni. The Berlinale unveils the titles playing in its Competition and its Perspectives and Berlinale Special strands. Cineuropa. 21 January 2025.
- 4.Ntim, Zac. Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Richard Linklater, Jessica Chastain, A$AP Rocky & Marion Cotillard Movies Among Vibrant Selection. Deadline. 21 January 2025.
- 5.Programme 2010.
- 6.Marsh, Sarah. Film explores Muslims struggling with life in West. Reuters. 17 February 2010.
- 7.20xBrandenburg (TV Movie 2010) - IMDb. IMDb.
- 8.Germany Picks Final Eight Titles to Vie for Oscar Submission. IndieWire. 13 August 2015.
- 9.Roxborough, Scott. Oscars: Germany Picks 'Labryinth of Lies' for Foreign Language Category. The Hollywood Reporter. 27 August 2015.
- 10.Burhan Qurbani | the Jerusalem International Film Lab.
- 11.Burhan Qurbani. IMDb.
- 12.Hazara filmmaker Burhan Qurbani directed a prize-winning film. 7 November 2010.
- 13.Slackman, Michael. With Film, Afghan-German is a Foreigner at Home. The New York Times. 17 October 2010.
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