SEYRAN ATES:
SEX, REVOLUTION AND ISLAM
FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY | 2021
In the 1960s, the hippies championed the idea of a sexual revolution. They received neither Fatwas nor bodyguards. Today, Seyran Ateş - a Turkish- German lawyer, feminist, and one of the first female imams in Europe - is fighting for a sexual revolution within Islam. In return, she was shot, received fatwas and death threats, and now has to live under constant police protection.
This award winning documentary was long-listed for an Oscar at the 94th Academy Awards.
Featuring: Seyran Ates, Tugay Sarac, Hatun Ates, Serpil Sarac, Elisabeth Thorsen, Bayan Amin, Mustafa Rashid, Lara Rashid, Nazneen Khan-Østrem, Usman Rana and Håkon Haugsbø
Director | Nefise Özkal Lorentzen
Producer | Jørgen Lorentzen
Cinematographer | Anders Hoft
Editor | Morten Haslerud
Composer | Simon M. Valentine
Sound Design | Andreu Jacob
AWARDS
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | NEW YORK CITY INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL | USA | 2022
AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | FIRE!! MOSTRA BARCELONA LGBT FILM FESTIVAL | SPAIN | 2022
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE | INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL MERLINKA | SERBIA | 2022
Film Festivals
2021:
- DENMARK | CPH:DOX | WORLD PREMIERE
- USA | SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
- CANADA | HOT DOCS | CANADIAN PREMIERE
- NETHERLANDS | MOVIES THAT MATTER FESTIVAL | THE NETHERLANDS PREMIERE
- CANADA | DOXA DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
- CANADA | NORTHWESTFEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL
- CZECH REPUBLIC | ONE WORLD | CZECH PREMIERE
- ITALY | BIOGRAFILM FESTIVAL | ITALIAN PREMIERE
- USA | FLICKERS’ RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- NORWAY | NORWEGIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - HAUGESUND | NORWEGIAN PREMIERE
- USA | ALL GENDERS, LIFESTYLES, AND IDENTITIES FILM FESTIVAL
- POLAND | MILLENNIUM DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL | POLISH PREMIERE
- CANADA | LUNENBURG DOC FEST
- USA | HOT SPRINGS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
- NORWAY | BERGEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- USA | VERMONT FILM FESTIVAL
- USA | UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION FILM FESTIVAL
- POLAND | HER DOCS FILM FESTIVAL
- GERMANY | WOMENWORLDS FILM FESTIVAL | GERMAN PREMIERE
- GERMANY | SOURA FILM FESTIVAL
- LITHUANIA | INCONVENIENT FILMS
- GERMANY | BRAUNSCHWEIG INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
- NORWAY | FILMS FROM THE SOUTH
- NORWAY | MOVIES ON WAR
- CANADA | MARDA LOOP JUSTICE FILM FESTIVAL
- POLAND | WATCH DOCS IFF
- CHINA | BATURU CULTURAL FESTIVAL | PRESS SCREENING IN BEIJING
- TURKEY | 11TH EU HUMAN RIGHTS FILM DAYS
- SERBIA | INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL MERLINKA | SERBIAN PREMIERE | Award: BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
2022:
- SWEDEN | INTERNATIONAL FEMALE FILM FESTIVAL IN MALMÖ
- AUSTRALIA | MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL | AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE
- CANADA | KDOCSFF
- USA | SEBASTOPOL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
- BANGLADESH | LIBERATION DOCFEST | BANGLADESHIAN PREMIERE
- FRANCE | FESTIVAL CINÉMA D’ALÈS ITINÉRANCES | FRENCH PREMIERE
- INDIA | SAMABHAV INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | INDIAN PREMIERE
- NETHERLANDS | IQMF - INTERNATIONAL QUEER & MIGRANT FILM FESTIVAL
- ITALY | SGUARDI ALTROVE FILM FESTIVAL
- ITALY | WE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL, MILAN
- ETHIOPIA | ADDIS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, ADDIS ABABA | ETHIOPIAN PREMIERE
- INDIA | KASHISH MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
- USA | CONNECTICUT LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL
- SPAIN | FIRE!! MOSTRA BARCELONA LGBT FILM FESTIVAL | Audience Award: BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
- USA | NEW YORK CITY INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL | Award: BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
- GEORGIA | THE ACTIVISM FILM CLUB IN KAVRELI | GEORGIAN PREMIERE
- ALBANIA | THE QUEER FILM FEST | ALBANIAN PREMIERE
- SWITZERLAND | EVERYBODY'S PERFECT FESTIVAL | SWISS PREMIERE
- CANADA | MONTREAL FEMINIST FILM FESTIVAL
- USA | AWARENESS FESTIVAL | Honorable Mention
- PERU | TRUJILLO INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL | PERUVIAN PREMIERE
- USA | NEW YORK HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
The story of Seyran Ates has travelled across the globe,
and continues ıts journey in 2022 and beyond.
Official Clips
FUNDED BY:
The Norwegian Film Institute
Lars Daniel Krutzkoff Jacobsen | Documentary Film Consultant
Ola Hunnes | Senior Production Advisor
Art Council Norway
The Audio And Visual Fund
The Cultural Heritage Fund
NRK
Fredrik Færden | Commissioning Editor
Integral Film A/S
The Fritt Ord Foundation
Bente Roalsvig
Viken Film Center
Kalle Løchen | Documentary Film Consultant
Cecilie Stranger-Thorsen | Documentary Film Consultant
The Bergesen Foundation
Norwegian Composer Association
Fiscal Sponsorship
International Documentary Association (IDA)
Toni Bell
Angela Jang
FESTIVAL DISTRIBUTION:
The Norwegian Film Institute
Toril Simonsen
WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION:
DR Sales
Kim Christiansen