EREN review by Shelly Schoeneshoefer
Eren Keskin has been an active human rights lawyer for over thirty years in Turkey . She fights for basic rights and freedom in her country . She has fought battles that most won ’ t even touch for fear for their lives . She particularly concentrates on the rights of women in the LGBTQ community , as well as the minority groups who are often beaten or sexually assaulted by the state enforcement agents . She has no fear of speaking out against the state government , despite the fact that she , too , is at risk . She has no limits when it comes to fighting her battles , which has made her a political enemy of the state . She has now been accused of having gone too far within the legal system and has been threatened with fines and prison time . Despite these accusations , she continues fighting in the courts for her clients , not knowing which battle might be her last .
This documentary by German director Maria Binder gives a small window into the life of Eren Keskin . We see a strong Kurdish woman who grew up in Turkey before it dawned on her that the Kurds needed a heroine . Even her mother says in this documentary that her daughter is smart and she never gives up a fight . We see how she works , where she works , and we see her when she has a moment for herself . Although the documentary covers quite a bit of ground , the film is like a spider ’ s nest of information . It is a film that might be easier to digest if one speaks Turkish or Kurdish but relying purely on German subtitles to understand the story is a huge test of patience . 95 minutes
© FILM FIVE
EREN
GERMANY 2023 OPENED OCTOBER 5 , 2023
DIRECTOR : MARIA BINDER WRITING CREDITS : MARIA BINDER
PRINCIPAL ACTORS : DOCUMENTARY