Films by Andreas Rochholl

Germany 2023, 55 min
by Andreas Rochholl, Sebastian Leitner

Two former Kurdish guerrilla fighters reconnect over their shared history and their decision to leave the movement to fight for Kurdish freedom in a different, non-violent way. A story of resistance against the suppression of one's own voice and culture. It is also a story of an irreversible, personal decision to give up everything, and of the courage of women who, like thousands of other young women, went "to the mountains"... only to leave it all behind again years later to exchange weapons for art and activism.Filmed on location in Armenia, Iraq and Syria between 2022-2023

Germany 2022, 52 min
by Andreas Rochholl

In July 2021, after the last German soldier had left the country, the film team traveled to Kabul to meet female singers. No one could have guessed at the time that this would be the last opportunity to document the lives of these female artists before the Taliban took power. The speed of the dramatic changes surprised even the protagonists, who nevertheless did not let themselves be stopped in their different lives. A year later, in May 2022, all involved have left the country, their beloved homeland, unwillingly and are now stuck 'between worlds'. They are scattered in foreign countries. In a further undertaking the same film team now visits the protagonists once again, to finish their stories.A film by: Andreas Rochholl, Yalda Yazdani, Sebastian Leitner

Germany 2020, 76 min
by Andreas Rochholl

Dealing with cultural censorship in Iran, women singers started using also digital media more. Invited by Negar, a magical entity, female voices from all over this vast country come out of isolation, gather in a garden in the very middle of Iran to make their dream come true: "I want my voice to be heard." Nobody has tried this before, so Negar seeks the help of two travelers to connect. Along the way they meet surprisingly strong female personalities of diverse cultural backgrounds and come closer to understanding the orient…A film by: Andreas Rochholl, Yalda Yazdani, Sebastian LeitnerMUSICIranian folk music (Arabic, Azari, Baluchi, Kurdish, Mazanderani, Turkmen, Qashqai, South), Classical Iranian music, Iranian Jazz- and Pop music.Compositions/Arrangements by Mina Deris, Mehran Ghaedipour, Mahia Hamedi, Mahan Mirarab, Maliheh Moradi, Kavosh Sohrabian.Live recordings from the festival “Female Voice of Iran” (Berlin 2017-2018)MAIN PROTAGONISTSBaran Mozafari — Folk Singer from the Persian GulfMina Deris — Arabic folk singer from Abadan, Voice of NegarSamin Ghorbani — Azari folk singer, ArdabilMaliheh Moradi — Classical Iranian singer from TehranJamileh Amaniyan — Turkmen folk singer from Gonbad-e-KavusMahya Hamedi — Jazz singer from TeheranMaedeh Tabatabaei — Classical Iranian singer from EsfahanHaleh Seyfizadeh — Classical Iranian singer from TehranSahar Zibaei — Kurdish folk singer from KermanshahMasoomeh Gorginpour — 97 years old clan chief, Qashqai tribe from AbadehShadi Behyar — Pop Singer from MahabadZohre Gholipour — Classical Iranian singer from TehranAtefeh Moghimi — Mazandarani folk singer from the Caspian SeaJivar Sheikholeslami — Kurdish folk singer from Sanandaj