What does it mean to be Muslim and live in a free society? How does the culture of origin of your parents reconcile with your own wishes? How important is the virginity requirement for young people from immigrant families? In her subjectively told film, the journalist and filmmaker Güner Yasemin Balci gets very personal answers to these questions. Balci grew up in Berlin-Neukölln as the daughter of Turkish immigrants. From an early age, she was concerned about why it was her Muslim neighbors who repeatedly denied their children the right to a self-determined life. And: what price the young generation has to pay to be free.

The psychologist Ahmad Mansour, the lawyer and women’s rights activist Seyran Ateş, the Femen activist Zana Ramadani and the young student Arife Yalniz are the protagonists of the film. They all had to fight to be able to live independently, had to break with their families and friends because they did not want to adhere to moral standards, which made sexuality a criminal offense and are still preached in many mosques today in the same way as they were 900 years ago Muslim philosopher Al-Ghazali wrote his “Book of Marriage”. They all work to educate and change society. Your concern is personal and political at the same time.

Much of what is discussed today as a problem of Muslim migrants, such as the oppression of women, excessive machismo and willingness to use violence among men, forced marriages and violence in the name of honor, has its origins in the central theme of the entire Muslim world: demonization of female sexuality. “If the virgin madness came to an end,” says protagonist Seyran Ateş, “then the madness would be over.”

Director: Güner Yasemin Balci
Script: Güner Yasemin Balci
With: Seyran Ateş, Ahmad Mansour, Zana Ramadani, Arife Yalniz
Camera: Yoliswa von Dallwitz, Susanna Salonen
Editing: Lena Rem
Music: Martina Eisenreich
Editorial Staff: Burkhard Althoff (ZDF/Das kleine Fernsehspiel), Kathrin Brinkmann (ZDF/ARTE THEMA)
Production lead: Brigit Mulders
Production: Andrea Ufer
Funding: Nordmedia

Juliane-Bartel-Preis, 2016
Bayerischer Fernsehpreis, 2016
Nominated, PRIX EUROPA, 2016
Nominated, CIVIS Medienpreis für Integration, 2017