Love, Deutschmarks and Death

Focusing on the music of Turkish immigrants living in Germany, Cem Kaya’s film documents how celebratory folk music became increasingly lucrative for this community, mainly through lavish weddings.

The folk duo Derdiyoklar regularly saw amounts of money that literally had to be swept up, whilst Turkish artists released 315 singles to an ever-growing fanbase which went largely under the radar in Germany.

On the flip-side, the Turkish community angrily responded to the building aggression from far-right groups through hip hop and rap music, which culminated at Solingen, where 5 members of a Turkish family were killed in an arson attack.

Uplifting but sobering, celebratory but compassionate, Love, Deutschmarks and Death shines a light on this oft-forgotten subculture.