Costa the Greek, Bobby the Serb, and Gabriel the Turk used to form a neighborhood gang in the Altona district of Hamburg. But things are changing. Gabriel, just released from prison, dreams of leading a regular life but is held back by Bobby’s attempts to join the Albanian Mafia. Inexorably, the three men are drawn into an unfolding tragedy. Reminiscent of the early films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Fatih Akin’s debut relates a powerful tale of young people willing to resort to violence yet full of tenderness toward each other. Counterpointing the melodramatic with the comic, Akin develops captivating visual keys through different camera concepts for each of the main characters: Costa’s takes are static and rapidly cut; Bobby is portrayed through a nervous, handheld camera; while Gabriel, the classical hero, is revealed through steady shots and fluid motion.