Sonne

An Austrian Muslim teen and her two friends get caught between modern life and tradition while wading through the world of sudden viral fame when they upload a video of them twerking to an R.E.M. song while wearing hijabs. Winner of Best First Feature at the 2022 Berlin International Film Festival. —M.G.

Born to Kurdish Muslim immigrants in Vienna, Yesmin is balancing between two worlds. As a teenager, she has the same urges to rebel and party as her peers. But as a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, she has other societal pressures her friends don’t have to deal with. One afternoon, Yesmin and her friends record a music video on their phones, singing R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion in full burkas, dancing and goofing around. Assuming no one will see it, Yesmin is shocked to find out one of her friends has uploaded the video to YouTube. Surprisingly, the video is embraced by the international Kurdish Muslim community, but Yesmin struggles with the aftermath of the group’s newfound popularity. Through the lens of a viral video that takes on a life of its own, SONNE explores friendship, culture, and quite literally, losing one’s religion. —G.S.