Tracing Addai

Based on archive material, the animated documentary TRACING ADDAI tells the story of a young man in his early twenties who leaves his life in Germany behind with the intention to help people. In 2013, Addai joins a Salafist group in Syria. A few years later Addai’s mother meets Ilias, a returnee from Syria. Through their personal stories, the film composes a clearer picture of Addai’s story. A true story about a war and the tragic impact it has on the lives of three people.

About the Director

Esther Niemeier is a director and producer working in both the UK and Germany. Her first short documentary ‘Walz’ screened in the official selection at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and was picked up for broadcast by Canal+, Future Shorts and Okto TV throughout Europe. Esther is currently working on ‘Bad Girl & Champion’, her first feature length documentary as a director – following a period researching new feminist approaches in indigenous Bolivian culture for her master’s thesis for which she was awarded a University of London scholarship. The project is part of a series in its development stages. In addition to her directorial work, Esther has extensive experience in production and is also working as a producer on the feature length nature documentary “Natura Urbana – The Brachen of Berlin” funded by the European Research Council and the University of Cambridge. Esther is currently enrolled in the MFA Documentary Directing at the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. Tracing Addai is her graduation film, funded by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and coproduced by German broadcaster rbb.