Lola and Billy the Kid

The events unfold in a contemporary late-1990s Berlin, a period marked by urban anonymity and evolving attitudes toward sexuality and immigrant communities. The neighborhoods mix old-world expectations with modern freedoms, creating pressure on young people to conform. The story uses nightlife, family conflict, and social prejudice to drive the plot.

Set in Berlin, the story unfolds within a gritty urban landscape where Murat works in a bar and navigates life among Berlin's Turkish diaspora. The bar scene and the river where Lola's body is found anchor the city as a backdrop for identity conflicts and violence. The city’s multicultural neighborhoods frame the tension between tradition and modern sexuality in the film.

🌈 Identity

Murat and Lola navigate gender and sexual identity under the glare of family and social norms. They challenge traditional expectations within the Turkish community and in Berlin's urban life. The film uses their stories to explore self-acceptance, fear of rejection, and the cost of living openly.

👪 Family & Tradition

Family and tradition exert a suffocating hold, with Osman enforcing patriarchal authority and disapproval of Lola's sexuality. Murat's mother Fatma and his brother İskender illustrate the pressure and fracture within the family unit. The film shows how cultural expectations collide with individual identity, leading to betrayal, violence, and rebellion.

🗡️ Violence & Justice

Lola's murder exposes cycles of violence within marginalized communities. Billy's predatory behavior and Murat's dangerous confrontation push the pursuit of justice into a vigilante realm. The film questions whether justice lies with the law or through personal retribution, and reveals the human cost of revenge.