Respect

Halima – Director: Linda Verweyen · Germany · 24 min · Somali (OmeU)

Halima is on her way back to the refugee shelter following an operation to correct her genital mutilation. Through this one character, this docufictional work combines the true stories of five women who together developed a strategy for remaining strong despite their painful experiences.

Joy – Director: Luis Schubert · Germany · 7 min · German (OmeU)

Aron is celebrating his 30th birthday at a karaoke bar. Shortly after midnight, as the party is in full swing and everyone is cheering him on, Joy walks in and takes the stage. In front of all the guests, she announces that Aron had raped her exactly one year prior.

My Name Akim – Director: Aleksandr Kim · Germany · 30 min · German (OmeU)

Akim is a trans man and a political refugee at a receiving facility for asylum-seekers in Germany. His goal is to learn German and go to college. As several bureaucratic avenues fail, he feels increasingly lonely and misunderstood. These feelings soon turn into anger and despair.

Heaven Will Wait – Director: Silver Tjepkema · Belgium · 16 min · Dutch (OmeU)

The female body is often reduced to being an object of desire. A group of young women from Amsterdam is well aware of this as they approach their sexuality with confidence and test the boundaries. Yet their conversations reveal a sense of unease. How autonomous will they really be when the gaze of others begins to dominate their lives?

Gender Studies – Director: Jamie Kiernan O'Brien · USA · 11 min · English (OF)

Maisie, a college student, is fascinated by her classmate Rachel. As a trans woman, she is seeking out new experiences and sees Rachel as a female role model. Since Rachel is having an affair with their teaching assistant, Maisie wants to seduce him, too. But is Rachel’s life really something to aspire to?