Film Program for the "10. Zuger Filmtage”: What comes from sitting in silence?

Sophie Schrago - CH/FR/SK/USA - 2026 - 77 min - Original version with german subtitles

In a cramped storefront in the densely populated Mumbai neighborhood of Naupada, a woman named Khatoon presides over the city’s first Sharia court for women. As one of the first female judges of Islamic law in India, she counsels couples in crisis and women fleeing abuse, handling explosive emotions with wisdom and composure. In the makeshift courtroom, the plaintiffs find a rare freedom: to speak their minds, express their anger, and seek justice. This intimate look at Khatoon’s work shows how one woman’s determination is bringing about revolutionary change for an entire generation of Muslim Indian women.

Filmed with minimalist techniques, this documentary proves once again that, when it comes to good stories, listening is what matters most. As you watch, you feel as though you’re sitting with Judge Khatoon in her small office. The hope that she can positively influence the fates of the plaintiffs remains.

Sophie Schrago

Sophie Schrago is an anthropologist and documentary filmmaker. Drawing on her childhood spent between Switzerland and India, she creates stories about the dynamics of power, belonging, and tradition across cultural boundaries. Her academic articles have appeared in anthropological journals. WHAT COMES FROM SITTING IN SILENCE? is her first feature-length documentary and won the Special Jury Prize at Visions du Réel.

The following short films will be screened before the feature film in this program slot:

2050

Karen Klötzli - Drama - 10 min 55 sec - U19

Swimming fun in winter. Absurd? In a family business, generations clash. A father-son relationship threatens to fall apart when reality demands answers.

Bear Chasing Man

Dave Honegger - Experimental film - 1 min 26 sec

A nightmarish sequence of pure primal fear: a bear hunting a man. The film captures the claustrophobic feeling of relentless pursuit.

GJUHA E DIASPORËS

Diell Curri - Documentary - 11 min 7 sec

Five friends explore their relationship to the Albanian language within the Swiss diaspora. They navigate through places of memory where identity is forged and express Albanian culture in places where it is suppressed. A documentary-experimental film about language, identity, oppression, and migration.