A Feature Documentary

In Theaters in Germany from
March 20th, 2025

NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME IN THE US AND THE UK
AND ON TUBI IN THE US, MEXICO AND AUSTRALIA

A documentary following a young man named Henri came face to face with daily struggles from political, religious and social backgrounds concerning the LGBTQIA+ Community and allowing him the basic and fundamental right of selfexpression in modern day Germany.

Henri Vogel:

"Being trans means being discriminated against, being humiliated, being remote-controlled. Then again it means inventing myself, choosing a new name for myself, being who I am. That’s a privilege."

Johannes Vogel:

"In our relationship, it doesn't really change anything for me if it's a male or female body that I'm touching. I'm simply holding the person that I want to be with."

Henri Vogel:
“Being trans means being discriminated against, being humiliated, being remote-controlled. Then again it means inventing myself, choosing a new name for myself, being who I am. That’s a privilege.”

Johannes Vogel:
“In our relationship, it doesn’t really change anything for me if it’s a male or female body that I’m touching. I’m simply holding the person that I want to be with.”

ABOUT THE FILM:

Short Description:
_________________

"Privileg" tells the story of how a gender transition feels. If you know a trans person, you only know one person, not the entire community. What difficulties do they deal with? What do others think about this person? How does their partner feel? Does society accept them? What role does religion play? Are there individuals or official bodies who provide support to trans persons? Are there specific laws to protect them? How does the coming-out process work in reality? These are just a few examples...

Logline:
_________________

Henri unravels the infrastructure of the LGBTQIA+ Community as we take a stroll through his daily life and get a grasp of what it truly means being different while trying to live an honest life in a world ruled by politics and religion

Synopsis:
_________________

While exposing his own problems, Henri gives an insight into further struggles that the LGBTQIA+ community goes through on a daily basis. Human rights in terms of love, identity, professional development and religious beliefs come to light and are questioned. Coming to terms with who you are is one thing, integrating with the wider community is another. Henri opens up his heart and shows us the true meaning of self-discovery, what it took to tell the people who know him best about who he truly is. It remains dangerous to reveal yourself in a world that is set in its ways. While this may come as an alien topic to many people, it is a raw reality that a big part of society lives through – or in many cases doesn’t get the privilege to do.

Director's Note:
_________________

There are already plenty of stories, documentaries and films out there about the private life of a person from the LGBTQIA+ community. However, there are fewer
stories and explanations about the situation and difficulties these people face in
their daily life, for example how this topic will be – or should be - perceived in politics, religion and society.
With this film, I want to amplify a voice of this community. I stand by the LGBTQIA+ community and will always support people in this community in being heard all over the world.

Short Description:

_________________

“Privileg” tells the story of how a gender transition feels. If you know a trans person, you only know one person, not the entire community. What difficulties do they deal with? What do others think about this person? How does their partner feel? Does society accept them? What role does religion play? Are there individuals or official bodies who provide support to trans persons? Are there specific laws to protect them? How does the coming-out process work in reality? These are just a few examples…

Logline: 

_________________

Henri unravels the infrastructure of the LGBTQIA+ Community as we take a
stroll through his daily life and get a grasp of what it truly means being different
while trying to live an honest life in a world ruled by politics and religion

Synopsis:

_________________

While exposing his own problems, Henri gives an insight into further struggles that the LGBTQIA+ community goes through on a daily basis. Human rights in terms of love, identity, professional development and religious beliefs come to light and are questioned. Coming to terms with who you are is one thing, integrating with the wider community is another. Henri opens up his heart and shows us the true meaning of self-discovery, what it took to tell the people who know him best about who he truly is. It remains dangerous to reveal yourself in a world that is set in its ways. While this may come as an alien topic to many people, it is a raw reality that a big part of society lives through – or in many cases doesn’t get the privilege to do

Director’s Note:

_________________

There are already plenty of stories, documentaries and films out there about the
private life of a person from the LGBTQIA+ community. However, there are fewer
stories and explanations about the situation and difficulties these people face in
their daily life, for example how this topic will be – or should be – perceived in
politics, religion and society.
With this film, I want to amplify a voice of this community. I stand by the
LGBTQIA+ community and will always support people in this community in
being heard all over the world.

Watch the Trailer

Stills from the film

Backstage Photos

The Core Team

Producer and Director
Ali Schmahl

Ali Schmahl has been working in the film industry for over a decade, acquiring skill sets in almost every position within a variety of productions.
2015 he started producing and directing short films and distributed them to international film festivals. His films have screened in more than 80 festivals and won more than 30 awards.
In 2018, he committed to his vision of producing promising international feature films which let him to shoot this feature documentary “ in 2019 following the life of a person from the LGBTQIA+ community.
This film premiered in Zoo Palast Berlin in January 2024, is available on Prime Video in the UK and US and will have its German theatrical release on March 20th, 2025.

Executive Producer
Gerard F. Tierney

Gerard is director of Octopoid Ltd and previously ran Projectile Productions. He makes interventions in production, distribution and consultancy in film and music, working with Berlin artist / filmmaker Deborah S. Phillips and a number of other filmmakers.
He is a member of the Documentary Association of Europe and the UK’s Documentary Film Council. Films he has worked on have featured in festivals and cinemas worldwide.
Projectile was an Associate Member of PACT (the UK producers’ trade association) and an Overseas Member of Independent Feature Project New York. Earlier, Gerard was a sound technician at Elstree Film Studios, and before that he was active in the Independent Filmmakers Association while working in production and sound on independent shorts.

Protagonist
Henri Vogel

Henri was born in 1983 and resided with his husband and his cat in Berlin. Henri Vogel was raised in Saxony and studied there, graduated in Business Administration and Engineering.
During his studies, he met Johannes. The two of them got married in 2008. Two years later while he was reading theology and literary studies, Henri told Johannes that he had felt like a man and from then on intended living as a man.
From 2015, Henri Vogel had officially lived as a man.
Ever since he came out, Henri Vogel was involved in several campaigns. From 2017, he was both attached to political parties campaigning for LGBTIQIA+ rights and speaking up for trans people.
Henri Vogel died in 2024 due to a tragic accident in South Africa.

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