When we first meet Nico—the easygoing, funny, and put-upon German-Persian young woman at the heart of this superb drama—she is spending her breezy Berlin summer tending patiently to the needs of her elderly clients as a home health aide and making gentle mischief with her best friend Rosa. But Nico’s carefree attitude is forever changed when she becomes the victim of a xenophobic attack. Though her physical recovery is swift, we soon see—in her isolation from Rosa and her growing despondency—the full spectrum of what it means to feel unsafe in one’s skin. Two things may spell Nico’s comeback: the self-confidence she begins to find with a karate coach; and the growing intimacy offered by a mysterious and flirtatious young carnival worker.

In the title role, co-writer Sara Fazilat anchors the film with a performance that is at once dynamic, complex, and endearing. Director Eline Gehring’s supremely assured feature debut tells an engrossing and timely tale of what it takes to overcome the prejudice of others.