The 1993 Solingen arson attack, in which five members of a family with origins in Turkey lost their lives, is to be dramatized in a feature film. When a burnt copy of the Qur’an is discovered amongst the props, the production begins to fall apart behind the scenes: footage from the day’s shoot mysteriously disappears, and the assistant director, Elif, finds herself caught in a crossfire between the director, the producer, and the extras, whose mutual accusations cause the situation to escalate further and further. 

Navigating effortlessly between different genres and social commentary, Hysteria is a fast-paced thriller that takes an in-depth look at societal assumptions and projections. Not everything is how is first appears; what is said—and also what remains unsaid—in turn shapes the images people have of one another. This results in disorted perceptions that often have little to do with the truth yet are nonetheless difficult to shake off. As the characters are drawn ever deeper into a web of secrets, lies, and ambiguity, a multi-layered film emerges that exposes opportunism and performative wokeness, whilst also drawing the audience right into the thick of the conflict.