Humor against Sexism
Film by Vanessa Juercke
Camera Vanessa Juercke
Edit Oliver Kölle
Channel Deutsche Welle
12:30 min
Comedy in Pakistan has always been a male-dominated space. Men are allowed to crack jokes, show off, or be crude. Enter female comedians. They get cast as mothers, daughters or mothers-in-law – rather than playing individuals, women are limited to caricatures. Amtul Baweja wants to change this, which is why she has joined the Khawatoons group. “Khawatoons” is a play on the Urdu word for women, “khawateen”, and “cartoons”. In the group, all the roles are played by women, who test the boundaries of what can be said in Pakistan.
Work for everyone
Inclusion in Catalonia
Film by Vanessa Juercke and
Ralph Weihermann
Camera Steffen Bohn
Edit Amalie Bambarandag
Channel Arte
32 min
In the Catalonian company La Fageda, it is not people who are there for work – but work for people. The production of yogurt and marmalade creates jobs for women and men who fall outside the normal system due to a mental disorder or intellectual disability. The employees are proud of the products, as they successfully compete with international brands in Catalonia. Beyond providing jobs, the company fosters a sense of belonging and purpose, empowering its workers in their daily lives. Inclusion through yogurt? At La Fageda, a recipe for success.
Film by Vanessa Juercke
Camera Vanessa Juercke
Editorial support & other camera
Eva Beyer
Edit Patrick Protz
Channel Deutsche Welle
12:30 min
Sunny is a trans person living in Pakistan. She begs in order to survive. Others get by as sex workers or dancers. As an expert for transgender issues at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Reem Sharif found a way to support her community. Trans people in Pakistan are frequently cast out by their families and live in poverty. They can find safe spaces and a new family in special centers. Here, they do not have to hide and discover that they are not alone in their fight for survival and recognition in Pakistan’s conservative society.
Women and the Bassline
Film by Vanessa Juercke
Camera Vanessa Juercke
Edit Oliver Kölle
Channel Deutsche Welle
12:30 min
Only a few years ago, it was hard to imagine a Saudi woman working in the music industry, but the kingdom is changing. MDLBeast is an electronic music festival, the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and the region. In attendance, are hundreds of thousands of music fans and more than one hundred DJs, including Dorar, Solskin and Kayan. For the women, it’s an exciting time, exploring a new found freedom and professional opportunities.
Hamed and Fashion
Film by Vanessa Juercke
Camera Vanessa Juercke
Camera Afghanistan
Theresa Breuer
Edit Oliver Kölle
Channel Deutsche Welle
12:30 min
"Even though I'm still breathing, I'm dead," says Hamed Valy in Kabul, three months after the Taliban took power. In 2019, he founded "Modelstan": a modeling agency with which he wanted to bring fashion and a modern image to Afghanistan. But with the takeover of the Taliban, his dream is over. Women who show off their bodies are a disgrace to the self-appointed guardians of morality and are considered prostitutes. Hamed receives death threats and decides to leave his homeland. With help from the NGO Kabul Luftbrücke he travels to Pakistan and a little later to Germany. In Berlin Hamed Valy continues to pursue his Afghan fashion dream.
EL CASO AYOTZINAPA
The Fight continues
The Ayotzinapa Case
Documentary Film by
Vanessa Juercke
Director Vanessa Juercke
Camera Karl Byrnison
Edit Horacio Romo Mercado
and Vinzenz Lehnert
Sound Peter Weinsheimer
In September 2014, 43 students disappeared. Shortly before, they had been arrested by the police in Iguala, Mexico. The parents of the missing students were told that their sons were dead, murdered by drug traffickers, and burned at a garbage dump. This was the official version of the government – but the parents did not believe it. With the help of international organizations and public pressure, they were able to prove that the Mexican government was lying to them, the Mexican people, and the world.
After all these years, the men and women have not given up the search for their sons. Every month, they demonstrate in Mexico City. They do everything they can to ensure that the Ayotzinapa case is not forgotten. 98% of crimes in Mexico remain unsolved. The number 43 and the place name Ayotzinapa symbolize the fight against a giant called Mexican corruption.