El-banate dol

Along with her mostly female crew Rached enabled a group of these homeless girls to tell their stories. We hear of abuse and degradation, daily threats of rape and violence, and the young women’s struggles to provide for themselves and their children, but the film also forces us to remember that the girls are children too still capable of love and laugher. In a memorable opening scene one of the girls, Tata, rides a horse joyfully through the city streets. The film’s playful score also adds an uplifting feel to what might otherwise be a bleak picture. These Girls is an unsentimental piece, which refuses to judge and treats its subjects with dignity and respect. (DOK.fest München)