Happy Lambs (Von glücklichen Schafen) (translated)

A Turkish family living in Germany is at the centre of Mutlu Kuzular, a German drama written and directed by Kadir Sözen. Known by its German title Von glücklichen Schafen (Happy Lambs), it opened in cinemas on 12 June 2015. Running about 100 minutes, it deals with honour, shame and immigrant life, and questions how these ideas operate, especially through women.

At its centre is Elmas, who lives for her children Can and Sevgi. In Germany she works as a legal sex worker to keep the family going, and her children do not know. She has not spoken to her father for years and meets him only by chance at her mother's grave. When sixteen-year-old Can learns what his mother does, he reacts very strongly and takes his sister to their grandfather's house. Separated from her children, Elmas falls into a deep emptiness. In the end she decides to change her life, find new work and repair her family ties. Narges Rashidi plays Elmas, Jascha Baum plays Can and Marlene Metternich plays Sevgi; Vedat Erincin appears as the grandfather. Benno Fürmann, Anna Thalbach and Erhan Emre also appear.

Sözen also wrote the screenplay. Elmas's struggle for her children unfolds within a society where the idea of honour is bound up with hypocrisy.