A naked young woman stands in front of a running washing machine. Flashback. 22-year-old Elaha is trying by all means to regain her supposed "innocence", which she lost through sex. A plastic surgeon is supposed to help her. But she cannot afford the money for the costly surgical procedure. In her efforts to find an alternative, she comes across a special product. But this supposed solution forces her into self-exploitation.
ELAHA is Milena Aboyan's graduation film at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg. The film is jointly realised by Kinescope Film, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Essence Film, SWR and arte.
Awards
2019: Caligari Award/Petra Mosselman Memorial Award of UFA Fiction
2020: Thomas Strittmatter Award (Nomination)
2022: Kaiju Cinema Diffusion Prize, Locarno Film Festival
2023: Audience Award Feature Film, Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt
2023: Norderneyer Engel, NDR-Filmpreis für den Nachwuchs und DGB Filmpreis, 33. Internationales Filmfest Emden
2023: New Faces Award / Beste Nachwuchsschauspielerin, Bester Debütfilm
2023: Heimat Europa Filmfestspiele / EDGAR | Preis für den besten modernen Heimatfilm / Auswahl für den Publikumspreis des Festivals
Festivals
75th Locarno Film Festival 2022, First Look
73th Berlinale Film Festival, Perspektive Deutsches Kino
Lichter Filmfest Frankfurt International
Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival
Crossing Europe Filmfestival Linz. YAAAS Competition
Filmfest Emden Norderney 2023
Kurdische Filmtage Leipzig 2023
Fünf Seen Festival 2023
Prix Europa 2023
Feature Film
Completed
110 minutes
Director
Milena Aboyan
Script
Milena Aboyan
Constantin Hatz
Film Editing
Elias Ben Engelhardt
Production Design
Christina Mammes
Nora Balmer
Director of Photography
Christopher Behrmann
Music
Kilian Oser
Sound Design
PERSCHYA CHEHRAZI
Cast
BAYAN LAYLA
DERYA DURMAZ
KIRIK DERYA
HADNET TESFAI
NAZMI KIRIK
HOMA FAGHIRI
CANSU LEYAN
ARMIN WAHEDI
SLAVKO POPADIĆ
BERITAN BALCI
RÉBER IBRAHIM
Production
Kinescope Film
Co-Production
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
Essence Film
SWR
ARTE
Producer
Matthias Greving
Co-Producer
Igor Dovagal
Associate Producer
Emina Smajić
Janina Sara Hennemann
Executive Producer
Kirsten Lukaczik
Production Manager
Florian-Malte Fimpel
Broadcaster
SWR
ARTE
Editor
Stefanie Groß, SWR
Eva-Maria von Geldern, arte
Funding
MFG Film Funding Baden-Württemberg
nordmedia - Film- und Mediengesellschaft mbH