Filmfest Director Irene Jung, Sandra Maischberger, TERRE DES FEMMES-CEO Christa Stolle and gynecologist Dr. med. Gabriele Halder

Sandra Maischberger, journalist, prominent talk-show host and film producer, is visiting the Women’s Worlds as our guest.

Under her leadership as managing director and producer of the company Vincent TV, since 2000 there have been produced numerous reportages, documentaries and docu-dramas, as well as the feature film for cinema by director Sherry Hormann „Nur eine Frau – A Regular Woman“ which is being screened at Women’s Worlds 2019.

In the conversation with the audience she speaks about the first so called “honour”murder, which has made headlines in Germany. She decided in favour of the project, as she wanted to give a voice to the young woman who had become victim of violent patriarchal structures. And because this case was so well documented through the court records.

For the Argentinean documentary “Que sea ley – Let it Be Law“, gynaecologist Dr. Gabriele Halder is present for a Q & A. She finally discovers surprising parallels between the situation in Argentina and the one in Germany, even though naturally more extreme destinies are to be deplored in the Argentinean case: she calls Germany a “developing country” in the sense that women cannot count with countrywide care for the termination of pregnancies any more. As well they are not provided with the best available medicine that is accessible in other European countries.

For the documentary “Women’s Voice – India’s Choice”, film director Shammi Singh is present for a conversation with the audience.

The feature film “Loverboy” is introduced by the TERRE DES FEMMES-Youth Ambassador Nadira Khalikova.

After the film Sandra Norak, a survivor of the “Loverboy”-Method, that held her in prostitution for 6 years, reports about what she has seen during her time in prostitution: massive violations of Human Rights that have nothing to do with work, gang rapes. With governmental approval, because the current liberal law normalizes, even glorifies prostitution and young women are not warned about the serious violence and the massive harm they will experience there. She demands a change in the current laws towards the “Nordic Model” with a Ban on Buying Sex.

The Serbian producer Milena Garfield accompanies her feature film “Šavovi – Stitches” about a scandal of massive child abduction in Serbia. Her work got awarded various times a.o. with an audience award in the Panorama Section of the Berlinale 2019.

Director Ella Antoni presents her film “Mulherada” at the Cinema Museum…

… and also at the Women’s Film Brunch at the Women’s Café “achtbar”.

Ella Antoni tells how she met Carmen, protagonist of the documentary, during her field research in Brazil in 2014; and that from this moment on she knew that she wanted to make a documentary about her movement. That means a movement of ordinary women, that strive for setting up a rural community without domestic violence against women by men. For this they often have to use “Disciplina” , which means, that for three months the men are forbidden to play cards, to drink alcohol, to go out at night and to have sex with their partners!

And it functions! says Ella. The men would even support them to “discipline” other men.

Dr. Gisela Schneider from DIFÄM (Deutsches Institut für Ärztliche Mission – German Institute for Medical Missions) can answer many questions asked by host Thilo Brunk and the audience regarding the film „In the Name of Your Daughter“. The documentary about girls in Tanzania, who flee during their school holidays to a shelter to avoid female genital mutilation, has agitated many people in the audience. Dr. Schneider offers much background information to put the issue into a bigger picture.

There are also activists in the audience who support a project in Moshi, Tanzania, through a city-partnership with Tübingen. The activists can give concrete information about the current status of the project and those who want to take part in the project can contact them for further information or support.

Beryl Magoko has made a courageous film about her own traumatic experience: she was affected by female genital mutilation when she was a child. Now, as an adult, she has to decide whether she wants to undergo reconstructive surgery. This is not an easy decision as it could lead to reenacting the trauma.

She explains to the host, Susanne Jahn, that breaking the taboo of not talking about this ancient practice is extremely important to her. In her understanding, physical and psychological healing is only possible, when the suffering can be spoken about, also with those that could be seen as perpetrators; and especially when communication about it between mothers and daughters is being made possible.

During her conversation with host Pola Hahn and the audience, Chelo Alvarez Stehle explains how she decided to make a film about the abuse in her own family in Spain and to tackle sexual violence in India and Mexico.

Typical for victims of abuse and other traumatising forms of violence, it took her a very long time to access her own story and confront herself with it.