A stellar example of new German directing and acting talent, Milena Aboyan’s assured and nuanced fiction debut follows the beautiful, lively title character (Bayan Layla), a 22-year-old German woman of Iraqi-Kurdish descent caught between her own modern ways and the traditions of her loving family. Her parents’ favorite saying is, "The damage done to the herd is an embarrassment for the shepherd” and Elaha knows that for them, protecting one’s honor and avoiding shame are cardinal values. Even if Elaha, who lives at home, doesn’t always agree with the patriarchal rules, she respects and appreciates most Kurdish traditions. However, she has a secret which weighs heavily on her. She is due to be married in three months and she is not a virgin. To avoid humiliating family, she desperately searches for a way to reconstitute her hymen. In the process, she faces more and more existential questions. –Alissa Simon
Awards: Bavarian Film Award; Best Actress; New Faces Award, Director and Actress; First Steps Award for Bayan Layla.
Content advisory: violence, mature themes