Eine Formalie in Kiew

Dmitrij Kapitelman tells the story of a family that moved abroad to start a new life, only to end up without a home. "It is only through this book that understanding migration, the feeling of not belonging, and the space in between becomes possible." Olga Grjasnowa

"A Formality in Kiev" is the tale of a family that once moved abroad full of hope to begin anew, only to find themselves without a home in the end. It is narrated with the bittersweet humor of a son who stoically tries to become German. Dmitrij Kapitelman can speak Saxon better than the official at the office where he applies for his German passport. After 25 years as a compatriot, most of his life. But no formality is too small for bureaucracy when it comes to immigrants. Ms. Kunze demands an apostille from Kiev. So he travels back to his birthplace, a city that no longer connects him to anything but childhood memories. These memories are beautiful, as they hold loving, infallible parents. Yet they are heavy, for the family is currently estranged.