news / Alumni Erfolge
»Sieben Winter in Teheran« | Bayerischer Filmpreis
ifs-Alumnae Melanie Andernach (Production) & Nicole Kortlüke (Editing)
On 19 January, the Bavarian Film Awards were presented for the 45th time at Munich’s Prinzregententheater. The »Documentary Film Award« (worth 10,000 euros) went to Steffi Niederzoll for her film »Sieben Winter in Teheran«, which portrays the realities of life for women in Iran. The film was produced by ifs alumna Melanie Andernach (Made in Germany). Congratulations!
The documentary tells the story of Reyhaneh Jabbarri. The 19-year-old fought back against her rapist, stabbed him, and subsequently ended up on death row in Iran for murder. »Sieben Winter in Teheran« uses secretly filmed video footage to show how her family fights to save the young woman’s life. She became a heroine in Iran because she would rather die than save her life by telling a lie.
The jury’s statement read: “In »Sieben Winter in Teheran«, Steffi Niederzoll tells the tragic story of Reyhaneh Jabbari, a young Iranian woman who stabbed a man to death in self-defense in 2007 and was sentenced to death as a result. The film sheds light on one of the thousands of stories associated with the #MeToo movement that, unfortunately, occur every day around the world. The filmmaker and her team immerse themselves with dedication in a foreign culture and language to expose the injustices of the Iranian legal system. The film captivates viewers through the skillful integration of various audio elements, which, together with the visuals, come together to form a unique work of art. »Sieben Winter in Teheran« is not only a testament to women’s struggle for their rights, but also a powerful and breathtaking cinematic work.”
The highly acclaimed documentary was honored at the 2023 Berlinale with the Kompass-Perspektive Award for Best Film in the Perspektive Deutsches Kino section and won the Peace Film Award. In September 2023, the film was released in theaters by Little Dream Pictures.