“It’s dedicated to all those men who just kept pressing the gas, thinking they’re moving instead of reflecting”: Assaf Machnes, Ido Tako and Ehab Salami on Where To? at Berlin film festival 2026

Director Assaf Machnes, joined by lead actors Ido Tako and Ehab Salami, presented his deeply personal debut film Where To? at the Berlin Film Festival 2026. Machnes revealed that the film was inspired by a poignant encounter with a Palestinian Uber driver in Berlin, sparking a story about quiet pain and unspoken narratives. The movie is dedicated to his father and “all those men who just kept pressing the gas, thinking they’re moving instead of reflecting and telling their story,” capturing a struggle to confront, rather than suppress, one’s history. Salami’s nuanced portrayal of Hassan, a man carrying decades of internal conflict, and Tako’s depiction of Amir, searching for identity, grew out of an immediate warmth and chemistry between the actors. Their collaborative, often improvisational process allowed for genuine emotional depth, making Where To? a powerful exploration of identity, belonging, and the quiet triumph of sensitivity over cynicism.