Privileg
Crew
Privileg Documentary - Ali Ashoori

Producer and Director

Ali Schmahl


Ali Schmahl started working in the film industry in 2013, acquiring skill sets in almost every position within a variety of productions, from Set Designer to Sound Recordist, Director of Photography and many others.


In 2016, he founded his own company, a film-distribution company distributing both short and feature-length films. The films he distributed were screened during two years at more than 50 film festivals and won more than 15 awards.

In the meantime he produced and directed short films and distributed them to international film festivals. His films have screened in more than 30 festivals and won more than 20 awards.


In 2018, he committed to his vision of producing promising international feature films which let him to shot his first feature Documentary “Privilege”. The film was completed in 2023.

This film has been done with great help from Gerard F. Tierney.

Thanks Gerard!

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. He joined the ‘Privileg’ project to support its director in contributing to the debate.


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.

Privileg Documentary - Gerard F. Tierney
Privileg Documentary - Henri Vogel

Protagonist

Henri Vogel


Henri was born in 1983 and resided with his husband and his cat in Berlin. 

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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. He had the authorities change his vital records and decided to undergo medical adjustments.


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.