This film is followed by a prerecorded Q&A.

“I’m not fighting against Islam. I’m fighting against patriarchy.” Seyran Ateş has spent her life dodging bullets and collecting death threats (including a fatwa or two) in her quest to bring about a more open-minded, 21st century version of her faith. Her message is clear: “Islam needs a sexual revolution.” Nefise Özkal Lorentzen’s film skillfully winds history and Ateş’s work into a cohesive whole as vibrant and articulate as the woman herself, taking us from Ateş’s childhood in the “slums” of Istanbul, through her family’s immigration to Germany in the 1970s, to her ongoing advocacy as the founder/Imam of a Berlin mosque and world travelling human rights activist. Despite Ateş’s repeated and defiant refrain, “Why do you want to kill me?”, the film’s takeaway is inspiring optimism from a dedicated humanitarian. -TA

Community Partner