ZUHURS TÖCHTER

‍ZUHURS TÖCHTER

‍Langfilm

‍Lohan and Samar are teenagers and transgender. The sisters fled from Syria to Germany together with their family. They live in a refugee home with their mother Zuhur, father Talib, his second wife Shaharazad and nine younger siblings. In their new surroundings, they find themselves in a constant field of cultural tension. Their parents cling to the familiar structures from Syria and live their lives according to the Koran. Lohan and Samar, on the other hand, are torn between their Muslim community and the Western environment that allows them to express their true selves. Initially only in secret, the sisters dare to live out their female identity. The film accompanies them for three years on their forays as well as their transition and search for their own identity. ZUHUR’S DAUGHTERS brings us close to a special family that sticks together despite countless conflicts and hardships.

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Documentary / Germany 2021 / 89 min

‍Language: arabic, kurdish, english, german
Subtitles: german, english

Written and Directed: Laurentia Genske, Robin Humboldt
Cinematography and Sound-Recording: Laurentia Genske, Robin Humboldt
Editor: Carina Mergens
Sound Design and Sound Mix: Robert Keilbar
Colour Correction: Felix Hüsken
Production Managers: Daniela Dieterich, Florian-Malte Fimpel
Commissioning Editor: Katya Mader
Producers: Martin Roelly, Erik Winker, Ümit Uludag
Produced by CORSO Film, In Co-Production with ZDF / 3sat
Funded by: Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Deutscher Filmförderfonds
Theatrical Distribution Company: Camino Filmverleih
World Sales: Goethe Institut

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CINEMA RELEASE 04.11.2021
TV broadcasting 3sat: 07.11.2022 & 23.07.2024

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Festivals / Awards

‍2025 - Goethe Institut Los Angeles
2024 - Cinema Queer Mexico, Festival de Cine

‍2024 - lit.Cologne

‍2023 - Orgullo | Ciclo de Cine Europeo LGTBIQ+
2023 - Ciclo de Cinema Alemão "Migração & Perspectivas"
2023 - Queer Movie Nights at Trianon Cinema

‍2023 - Festival CineMA, Mexico

‍2023 - KinoFest, Greece

‍2023 - 26th Religion Today Film Festival, Italy

‍2023 - Queersicht Festival, Bern

‍2023 - 22. Deutsche Filmwoche Mexiko

‍2023 - TranScreen, Amsterdam

‍2023 - Queer Movie Nights Festival, Athens

‍2023 - NOMINATION CIVIS Media Prize 2023, Category Video I Information

‍2023 - Muestra de Cine Internacional Memoria Verdad Justicia, Guatemala

‍2022 - Dialogues Festival Kalkutta, Opening Film

‍2022 - Chennai International Queer Film Festival, Indien

‍2022 - Mezipatra Queer Film Festival, Prague

‍2022 - Das Filmfest, Prague, Brünn, Olmütz

‍2022 - DocsMX, Mexiko

‍2022 - Gender Borders Film Festival, Mailand

‍2022 - MakeDox, International Creative Documentary Film Festival, North Macedonia

‍2022 - EU Asia Documentary Festival

‍2022 - AMOR Festival Internacional de Cine LGBT+, Chile / WINNER BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

‍2022 - SHORTLISTED, Lola, Deutscher Filmpreis

‍2022 - NOMINATION Deutscher Dokumentarfilmpreis

‍2022 - liberTÜ Documentary Film Festival

‍2022 - Media Festival Man in Danger, Poland

‍2021 - Queer Filmfest Tübingen

‍2021 - DOK.fest Munich / WINNER VIKTOR DOK.deutsch

‍2021 - OUTshine Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale

‍2021 - Porn Film Festival Berlin

‍2021 - Queergestreift Festival

‍2021 - Film Festival Cologne

‍2021 - RIDM Festival Quebec, Canada

‍2021 - Duisburger Filmwoche

‍2021 - Filmkunstmesse München

‍2021 - Kasseler Dokfest

‍2021 - Queer Filmfest Weiterstadt

‍2021 - 31. Lodz Pl Festival, Poland

‍2021 - Hotdocs, Toronto

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‍Pressestimmen zum Film

‍"Samar and Lohan long for the right life — the right life in the right body. The two sisters are trans. In their home country of Syria, this would have meant certain death. Talib and his wife Zuhur do not understand their children, but above all, they worry about them. All of this is shown by filmmakers Laurentia Genske and Robin Humboldt with great sensitivity. In the best sense, their film accompanies and documents the trans women's path toward the life they hope for — with all its obstacles and difficulties."
— From the Jury Statement, VIKTOR DOK.deutsch

‍"…Their award-winning film Am Kölnberg (2014) was already a long-term observation. And once again, Laurentia Genske and Robin Humboldt accompany their protagonists for a considerable stretch of time. New Year's Eves are celebrated, snowmen are built, outdoor pools are visited, beach holidays are taken with a first great love. The camera is present during conversations at the doctor's office and during operations in the hospital, yet it always maintains a respectful distance. As an audience, we can't help but root for them. And given the situation that has kept pulling us back into lockdown for quite some time now, one hardly wants to imagine what this forced isolation would do to these freedom-loving sisters. By the end of this film, they are barely recognizable to us — but they have finally arrived at themselves."
— Kino-Zeit

‍"…A sensitive statement for tolerance, oppressive and light-hearted at once."
— Süddeutsche Zeitung