A German and Muslim finds fame is complex

BERLIN - It has been many years since a German film student had a feature-length movie shown at the prestigious Berlinale International Film Festival, a distinction that can launch a career. That is what Burhan Qurbani is enjoying at the moment, with his film "Shahada."

But rising fame can be double-edged. Mr. Qurbani, 29, suddenly realizes that he is a foreigner at home, and that his audience sees him as an Afghan immigrant who made a movie about Islam, not as a talented German filmmaker exploring issues common to all mankind. "I'm seen as the Afghani who made the film about integration, and that hurts a little," he said.

The film's characters, three young Muslims living in Berlin, confront issues like forbidden love and guilt. They seek refuge, and redemption, in religion. But context is what ultimately defines, and that is largely true with this film, which was produced in 2009 but released this year amid a heated public debate over integration and rising anti-Islamic sentiment.