A colourful, upbeat tale from Vollsmose about the resourceful and funky hairdresser Qasim, who instils dignity, inspiration and hope in young people through something we can all relate to – a cool haircut!
Q´s Barbershop is located in the heart of Vollsmose – the largest social housing project in Denmark – and is a popular hangout spot for the young Somalis of the area. The owner of the salon, Qasim, is from Somalia himself, and he makes sure that young people in Vollsmose have got style. At Q’s Barbershop, a tenner will get you an Usher, a Flat Top, a House Party or a Will Smith with low fade. But you can also get advice about the big issues in life such as love, relationships or education, and if need be, Qasim is happy to help you practise for the Danish test while trimming and styling. No matter if you are an immigrant, a criminal, or a straight-A student, you need a cool haircut. And the majority of Q´s customers do in fact leave the barbershop with renewed energy for whatever challenges the rest of the day – or life in general – might bring. Q’s Barbershop is a multi-character narrative, where the salon becomes a world in and by itself - a microcosm with Qasim at its centre. In the barbershop we meet a wide range of captivating Vollsmose characters such as Elias, who is now trying to clean up his act and there is the blind teenage boy Jama, who sees himself as the Michael Jackson of Vollsmose. As the story unfolds, we also gain a better and better understanding of Q’s character as we get to know him through his interactions with the customers. We observe him in scenes where he relates to their experiences and stories by way of his own backstory and uses this in his attempts to help them make sense of the world (and Denmark). Q’s Barbershop is an uplifting film about dignity, hopes and dreams – as well as a story about what it feels like growing up as a young person in one of the most notorious social housing projects in Denmark.