On May 14, the 21st Neisse Film Festival will begin in Zittau's theater with a film in line with this year's special Focus theme of "Female Perspectives". The drama "Elbow" by Aslı Özarslan, based on Fatma Aydemir's novel of the same name, is an intense portait of a young woman who pays a high price to free herself from the projections of the society around her.

On her 18th birthday, Hazal wants to celebrate with her girlfriends in the coolest club in Berlin. To forget her everyday life, the temp job in a bakery, her family's expectations, the many unsuccessful applications. But the bouncer sends them away. Frustrated, they head home. On the way, an invasive come-on in the U-Bahn escalates into a situation with consequences. Hazal flees head-over-heels to Istanbul. In the completely foreign city she has to find her way on her own and figure out her life anew between homelessness, ambitions and personal guilt.

At its premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), Aslı Özarslan's debut feature film was enthusiastically acclaimed by the media, film critics and audience. At the opening ceremony of the NFF in Zittau, we will welcome author Claudia Schaefer as our guest. "Elbow" will also show later in the week, on May 16th at 10pm in Görlitz' CamilloKino, and on May 19th in Großhennersdorf at the Kunstbauerkino...