Every single woman in this world has a right to her own pleasure, her physical autonomy, and her sexual desire. What can be done when patriarchy stands in the way of this right? #Female Pleasure brings together five international figures who have broken free from extremely closed societies and now aim to raise awareness of free female sexuality through their courage and creativity.

Age rating: 12

About the protagonists:

Deborah Feldman
Deborah Feldman grew up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family in New York. After fleeing to Berlin, she achieved her breakthrough as an internationally recognized author with her book Unorthodox.

Leyla Hussein
Leyla Hussein was subjected to female genital mutilation by her Somali, strictly Muslim family when she was seven years old. Today, she is one of the most prominent activists against FGM.

Rokudenashiko
Despite being arrested and charged, Japanese manga artist and performance artist Rokudenashiko continues to fight against the demonization of female pleasure.

Vithika Yadav
Human rights activist Vithika Yadav is an expert in child protection and founded the website Love Matters, a sex education site that helps millions of users defend themselves against »Eve teasing«, the absurd term for sexual harassment in India.

Doris Wagner
Former nun Doris Wagner does not shy away from publicly taking on one of the most vocal deniers of sexual abuse: the Catholic Church. In several books and documentaries, Wagner sheds light on impunity within the Church and the legal system.

Following the screening, there will be a discussion with editor Isabel Meier, moderated by Dr. Maxa Zoller (Artistic Director of IFFF Dortmund+Köln).

Isabel Meier was nominated for the Swiss Film Award in 2019 for her editing of #Female Pleasure. She edited the documentaries Blue End (2000, dir. Kaspar Kasics), Balkan Melodie (2012, dir. Stefan Schwietert), and Parcours d’Amour (2014, dir. Bettina Blümner). Her first feature film, Die Unberührbare by Oscar Roehler, was selected in 1999 as Germany’s entry for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film. She has worked on numerous international co-productions, including Samsara (2001, dir. Pan Nalin), My Name Is Bach (2003, dir. Dominique de Rivaz), The Drummer (2007, dir. Kenneth Bi), Tulpan (2008, dir. Sergei Dvorzhevoy), Satte Farben von Schwarz (2010, dir. Sophie Heldmann), and Love Island (2014, dir. Jasmila Žbanic). This fall, Sophie Heldmann’s The Education of Jane Cumming will be released in theaters.