Burhan Qurbani on His ‘No Beast. So Fierce’: ‘Freedom Is Something That Is Reserved for Them, the White German Society, Not for Us’
variety.comNick Vivarelli International Correspondent In Burhan Qurbani’s “No Beast. So Fierce,” which is premiering in Berlinale Special, Shakespeare’s “Richard III” is reimagined in a modern setting as the tale of an Arab gangster queen named Rashida who becomes the boss of the Berlin underworld.
It’s the fifth feature from German-born Qurbani, who is the son of political refugees from Afghanistan and previously made a splash with hard-hitting social dramas such as “We Are Young.
We Are Strong” and his adaptation of Alfred Döblin’s classic novel “Berlin Alexanderplatz,” which he set in the African refugee community of present-day Berlin.
The director speaks to Variety about launching “Beast” on the eve of Germany’s politically heated elections and working with Germany-based Syrian actress Kenda Hmeidan, who plays Rashida, and “Succession” star Hiam Abbass, whose character plays Rashida’s bodyguard and is also an assassin. The film’s main character has been described as a present-day female Arab gangster.
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