Elaha

Milena Aboyan provides this guttural cry of a feature debut. Elaha (Bayan Layla) is a Kurdish-German woman a mere nine weeks away from her wedding. But she has neither the time left nor the money to medically restore her hymen to appear “pure” before her fiancé, an insisted-upon expectation in her patriarchal culture.

Although Elaha is on the verge of getting married, she feels more dread than excitement. In her close-knit Kurdish community in Germany, much is expected of young women, especially that they maintain their virginity until their wedding night. But like many 22-year-olds, Elaha has been sexually active in the past, a secret she has kept from her family, friends, and fiancé. Desperate to live up to the cultural standards, and to keep her reputation intact, Elaha finds a clinic that can reconstruct her hymen. But it comes with a cost, both financially and to her sense of self, as Elaha grapples with her personal desires and the desire to make her family happy. ELAHA is a poignant portrait of a multifaceted woman who finds herself trapped by enormous expectations and the crippling stigma around female sexuality. —G.S.

Content Warning: This film contains material that may be difficult for some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.