"One life is not enough" – documentary about Xatar

Almost a year after the death of rapper Giwar Hajabi, known as Xatar, ARD is broadcasting a three-part documentary series about his life.

“Xatar – One Life Is Not Enough” (NDR/SWR/WDR) will be broadcast on ARD for two years starting May 1, 2026. Media Library available.

The linear broadcast begins on May 5, 2026 at 00:05 on Das Erste, episode 2 follows on May 6, 2026 at 23:35 on NDR television.

Who was Xatar?

The series poses a simple but difficult question: What remains of a person who has led so many lives simultaneously – as a musician, gangster, businessman, talent scout, icon, husband and father?

Instead of delivering a finished picture, the production looks behind the public image of a figure who has always defied easy categorization.

Giwar Hajabi was born in Sanandaj, Iran, in 1981 and later grew up in Bonn. His stage name roughly translates to "danger"—a word that strangely reflects his life.

New artists

As a rapper of Kurdish origin, he established himself in a scene that at the time had little room for outsiders.

In 2007 he founded the label "Alles oder Nix Records", which later made artists like Haftbefehl famous.

He made headlines outside of music with a spectacular gold robbery in 2009 in which he was involved.

Current documentary

Xatar was convicted, spent several years in prison in Germany and Iraq, and then returned to the music business.

In 2022, director Fatih Akin adapted this biography into the feature film *Rheingold*, which received international attention.

Xatar died in Cologne in 2025. The documentary is therefore released at a time when his story is still fresh – and the questions it raises are still unanswered…

Sierks Media / PR Agent / © Photo: NDR, Farvah Heidari, ARD Mediathek