All Russians Love Birch Trees

Mascha (27) is wild and loud, unapologetic and quick-witted, but deep in her heart she is flighty and directionless. The aspiring translator speaks five languages fluently. Her multicultural group of friends retaliate against the every-day racism they encounter in Germany with wit and sardonic humor. However, Mascha never speaks about her experience as a refugee. When Elias (28) becomes critically ill after a sports injury, he and Mascha, who have just moved into a cozy two-room apartment together, are forced to swap their romantic togetherness for a never-ending hospital stay. It is a trying time, not only for Elias. It becomes increasingly clear that he has papered over all the inconsistencies in Mascha's painstakingly assimilated life. Without him her life is turned upside down. Mascha cheats on Elias with her ex-boyfriend. In the very moment Elias finds out about it, his health deteriorates, and Elias dies during an emergency operation. In deepest sorrow Mascha drops everything. With only her passport, she jumps on a plane to Israel and leaves her entire previous life behind. As the daughter of Jewish parents, she hopes to find whatever seems to be missing in her life. However, she doesn't even speak Hebrew, she only speaks Arabic. So Mascha does what she always does, she forges ahead.