Zuhur's Daughters also tells a little about Zuhur herself: about emigrating from Syria, about the worries that still remain in Germany, about everyday life in the refugee shelter. In general, however, the documentary follows Lohan and Samar, who were born as Zuhur's sons but have identified as women since puberty. Now, in Europe, they want to make their self-image a reality. The directors Genske and Humboldt accompany the two over several years, documenting their gender reassignment. Their ethnic background adds some complications.

At the beginning, Lohan and Samar are sitting on a park bench and putting on make-up: two trans women, sisters, young. "I should get an Oscar for my make-up," says one exuberantly. Then they change their clothes in the toilets of the Stuttgart train station, dressing up stylish and sexy for a night of clubbing. At night, they obviously have fun – but during the day they prefer to hide: at home they look different, with less make-up and no skirts.
Home, in their case, is the flat in the refugee home where they have lived with their mother Zuhur, father Talib, and several siblings since fleeing Syria. They arrived in Germany not all that long ago. The reason for leaving (or at least one of the reasons for leaving): the sexual orientation of the two. The film is called Zuhur's Daughters, but in Syria the two were Zuhur's sons. They realised that they identify as female when they hit puberty; first the one, and then the second soon after.
In Syria, their father says, they lived in a Muslim family clan. There, what is not religiously sanctioned is punished; gender concepts were not a topic of discussion. He could have killed his sons, perhaps would have had to kill them; that is why they are now in Europe. Discrimination does not end outside of Syria, but it is no longer life-threatening. The understanding of the parents may be limited, but their loyalty remains unaffected. They clearly stick to their children – nevertheless, Zuhur prays daily for their "salvation", while Talib dreads the contempt of his compatriots.
Such aspects emerge in the documentary slowly, as one follows the trans sisters through everyday life. What one sees above all in their daily life is their new freedom – which is lived out in countless make-up sessions, in seductive outfits, in the nightlife. Looking in the mirror is what they enjoy doing the most. At the same time, the film reveals other things in the refugee home: Talib has a second wife in addition to Zuhur, which he says is normal in Syria. Meals are eaten in a large circle with all the children, sometimes there is dancing in the courtyard outside – but only the men swing their hips, the women film with their mobile phones from afar.
Over the years that the film follows Lohan and Samar, their status in the refugee home changes. The neighbours sometimes marvel at them now; and the sisters, in turn, hide less and less. They pursue their gender reassignment with determination: you see them in the counselling centres, with doctors, and during the bureaucratic processes. The hormones, the right breast size – everything is taken into consideration. Genske and Humboldt observe the linguistic and psychological problems, and also chronicle the friendships that are made in the LGBTQ scene.
With unshakable resolve, the sisters pursue their respective surgeries – and when the time comes, the viewer is there as well. The film accompanies Zuhur's daughters through their physical change, as well as the changes in head and heart. It shows how they grow up, and how even the family gets used to their female identity. At the end, two glamorous girls sit at the edge of the pool in a public swimming pool in Stuttgart, laughing contentedly, as if all the worries of the world were behind them.

Doris Kuhn (22.02.2022)

Reviews and Commentary:

"As their parents cling to Syrian values and traditions, sisters Lohan and Samar are in search of their own identities, constantly torn between their strictly religious community and the Western environment, the latter of which makes it easier for them to live their true selves and find their place in society." (queerpride.de)

"An observational documentary about two transgender sisters who came to Germany as Kurdish refugees from Syria and dream of becoming women, permanently as well as medically. The film takes part in their life for two years, witnessing all the excitement surrounding the transition, the support of their family, and conventional teenage routine. The presentation holds back on the information and dramaturgical exaggeration, which makes the film quite distant. Nevertheless, it remains interesting due to the self-confident appearance and the sympathetic nature of the protagonists." (Filmdienst)

"Zuhur's Daughters narrates the story of a double self-discovery: a cultural and a biological one." (film-rezensionen.de)

Awards:
2021 Dokfest Munich: Viktor DOK.deutsch Award for Laurentia Genske and Robin Humboldt

Production Country

Germany (DE)

Production Period

2018-2021

Production Year

2021

color

color

Duration

Feature-Length Film (61+ Min.)

Type

Documentary

Genre

Biography / Portrait

Topic

Relationship / Family, LGBTIQ / Queer, Coming of Age, Migration / Flight / Exile

Available Media

DCP, Blu-ray Disc, DVD, Digital Film

Original Version

Arabic (ar)

DCP

Subtitles

English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (ar), Chinese (zh), Russian (ru), Czech (cs), Turkish (tr)

Note on the Format

DCP sind verschlüsselt

Blu-ray Disc

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (ar), Chinese (zh), Russian (ru), Czech (cs), Turkish (tr), German (partly)

DVD

Subtitles

German (full), German (partly), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (ar), Chinese (zh), Russian (ru), Czech (cs), Turkish (tr)

Digital Film

Subtitles

German (full), English (en), French (fr), Spanish (Latin America), Portuguese (Brazil), Arabic (ar), Russian (ru), Czech (cs), Turkish (tr), Chinese (short)