4 Blocks Zero is critically acclaimed series on HBO Max following the Hamady family in 1990s Berlin.
A hit series in Germany, 4 BLOCKS has returned as 4 BLOCKS ZERO on HBO Max, a prequel telling the fraught story of an immigrant family sucked into Berlin’s criminal underworld. Malik Hamady fled Lebanon with his four children and mother-in-law for a better life, but his world is turned upside down when his brother-in-law, Ibrahim, joins the family in Germany after spending eight years in prison. What begins as a side hustle soon turns into a full immersion into the drug trade with Malik’s son Ali forging a path to becoming Toni Hamady, the clan boss viewers met in the original series. 4 BLOCKS ZERO has eight episodes which were co-directed by Hüseyin Tabak and Yildirim; Yildirim also directed the original 4 BLOCKS.
Set in 1990s Berlin, the series portrays a family facing anti-Arab prejudice, a sentiment that many still face today. “The series takes place in the 90s but many things are still like today, this type of racism that happens between the lines,” says Yildirim. The series unfolds like a Greek tragedy as viewers already know where the Hamadys end up, but the story arc shows a father trying to save his sons from a dangerous fate.
We spoke to Yildirim about his year-long casting process, how he approached depicting 1990s Berlin authentically, and why topics of racism and discrimination are still relevant today.
