SONDERVERANSTALTUNG: Rabia – Der verlorene Traum + Filmgespräch

In the organizer's words:

Film discussion after the screening with Halil Şimşek, who worked for ten years in extremism counseling (at WEGWEISER in Essen).

Moderated by Ali Sirin (Jugendforum Nordstadt, Kermit e.V., Planerladen undKonfliktmanagement).

• FR/DE/BE 2024
• 94 min
• Director: Mareike Engelhardt
• FSK: from 12 years
• German dubbing

Lured by the promise of a better life, 19-year-old French girl Jessica (Megan Northam) and her best friend Laïla (Natacha Krief) leave their home country to join the Islamic State in Syria. When they arrive in Raqqa, their passports, cell phones, jewelry and clothes are confiscated and the women are taken to a "madafa", a house intended for future wives of IS fighters. Together with women from different countries, they submit to strict rules, pray and pay homage to the fighters and their supposed victories. But when the man to whom Jessica and Laïla were promised as wives falls in battle, their fate changes abruptly. The charismatic Madame (Lubna Azabal), who runs the house with an iron hand, has set her sights on Jessica, who now goes by the name Rabia, as her possible successor. As the pressure on her grows, Rabia has to decide what kind of life she wants to lead.