EXB Ausgabe 141 September 2015

Fighting for the homeland

They're exiled in Berlin but fighting for their homeland. In our September issue, you'll meet a Ukrainian Berliner who went to the Donbass front lines, a man running one of Azerbaijan's last bastions of free speech from Kreuzberg, the new generation of Iranian dissidents and much, much more.

SERGEY'S WAR Berliner Sergey Steuer on his harrowing stint as a volunteer doctor in Ukraine's war-torn Donbass region.

MORE THAN QUEER Two Kreuzberg LGBTQ activists tell us what it means to be a Turkish gay rights supporter.

GENERATION DISCONNECT Far removed from their predecessors' struggles and connected to their homeland by social media, young Iranians try to make an impact in their own way.

THE ACT OF SINGING Indonesian musician Tomi Simatupang is on a one-man mission to introduce Germans to an enigmatic song – and in doing so, bring his country's dark past to light.

TWISTED TRANSLATIONS Can Eritrean interpreters be trusted?

AZERBAIJAN CALLING A look at Meydan TV, the Berlin-based opposition media channel run by one of Azerbaijan's most outspoken dissidents.

IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST Southern European 'exiles' take the anti-austerity battle straight to Merkel's doorstep.

THE SYRIAN COMPLEX Reflecting the tangled politics in their homeland, Berlin's Syrians are divided. Can they ever work together?

CLOSE-UP: JACOB APPELBAUM Eight questions for the digital activist, Snowdenista and Ai Weiwei collaborator on his new art exhibition Samizdata: Evidence of Conspiracy.

Also in this issue:

PEACHES The X-rated expat's new album, Rub, drops September 25. She talked with us about Miley Cyrus, the Kit Kat Club and feminist whistleblowing.

INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL Hit the books! We preview this year's fest (Sep 9-19) and ask the authors all the hard-hitting questions (“What's your shoe size?”).

BERLIN ART WEEK Three fairs and countless exhibitions at big institutions and tiny galleries alike... where do you start? No worries: we've got your week covered.

MUSIKFEST Classical nerds, rejoice: Mahler, Schönberg Cage, Adams and more get their due from Sep 2-20.

BEST OF BERLIN A super-local farmer's market, a Bavarian beer garden from the Renate crew, outdoor co-working and a doggy exhibition.

BERLIN BITES Abkhazian delicacies, Russian cafeteria food and Prenzlauer Berg street food for the whole family.

Plus all the latest in film, music, art, stage, events, fashion and much more!