Sopiro

Lesbian, gay bisexual trans and intersex (LGBTI) people are currently criminally prosecuted in over seventy states worldwide on the basis of their identity. They face substantial monetary fines, physical beatings, ‚conversion therapy‘, (life) long prison sentences, torture, and even – in eleven stats - the death penalty. In 2019, over 85% of individuals applying for asylum in Germany came from states with anti-LGBTI criminal laws. In this film, five women* who have survived persecution and violence based on their sexuality or gender identity share their stories: about their life before fleeing, their journey to Germany, their day-to-day experiences in Northrhine-Westphalia – and their hopes fort he future.

Sopiro is Esperanto and means yearning. The film illustrates the experiences and lived realities of lesbian, trans and non-binary refugees. These are issues the majority of civil society never comes in contact with – issues that are also underrepresented and often remain invisible in refugee work. Five biografies reveal the consequences and the personal cost of anti-LGBTI discrimination and violence. The protagonists are in need and deserving of protection. They yearn fort he safety and liberty to live openly, and true to themselves.

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