With sword and pain: these are the award winners

Elisabeth Kringe's bachelor's thesis examines the differences between women's and men's armor in games, films and series, live-action role-playing games and other medieval representations. "Why are there actually so many 'bikini suits of armor' in the media?" she asks in her accompanying text. Her "armored woman" is the antithesis: a specially designed suit of armor consisting of a gambeson, neck, shoulder and chest protection that is not provocative, but useful.

Jury rating:
"'The Armored Woman' questions the usual stereotypes of the female role such as the metallic bikini top, which is not intended to protect but to make the woman look sexy. Elisabeth Kringe develops a counter-image, an armor for the woman that has a real protective function. This breaks with the usual expectations and changes the representation of the female role in a surprising way: The woman gains strength and can now also fill the role of the fighter."

Samaneh Khosravi's photo series deals with her own feelings after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in September 2022 in Iran and the subsequent "Women, Life, Freedom" movement. She writes: "While I am here in Germany, far away from my home country, I am confronted daily with horrific news of how women are systematically discriminated against, oppressed or even killed because of their gender." As a photographer who was born and raised in Iran and experienced some of this first-hand, she reflected and captured her emotions and experiences in this self-portrait.

Jury rating:
"The topic of the change in the legal situation with regard to women in Iran is a politically explosive and clearly gender-related issue. The work triggers consternation that not only informs about the incomprehensible events, but can also reach the audience emotionally."

In her 30-minute documentary, Miriam Wolter examines the perspective of trans people in Pakistan, known as "Khawara Siras". These "belong to Pakistan's indigenous population and are part of the country's rich history and culture," writes the artist. In her film, she examines the latest political developments relating to this community, including a recent law to protect transgender people.

Jury score:
The jury calls the film a "precisely researched and documentary contemporary document" and a contribution to promoting understanding of the difficult situation of trans people. The filming required establishing contacts and proximity to the community in order to be able to conduct interviews, film on location and carry out the project in the difficult situation of the pandemic, emphasizes the jury.