No Mercy
A documentary by Isa Willinger
“Women make tougher films!” Ever since cult director Kira Muratova gave this thought to the young filmmaker Isa Willinger at the beginning of her film career, it has been stuck with her. How come, since “female” tends to be equated with “empathic” and “sensitive”?
With this film Willinger sets out on a journey to the great female directors of our time. She meets world-famous directing legends as well as newcomers and radical pioneers. It becomes clear that the cinema screen is a projection space for real social problems and power relations. The question NO MERCY raises goes deep: Where do we really stand today in terms of women, men and power?
With this film Willinger sets out on a journey to the great female directors of our time. She meets world-famous directing legends as well as newcomers and radical pioneers. It becomes clear that the cinema screen is a projection space for real social problems and power relations. The question NO MERCY raises goes deep: Where do we really stand today in terms of women, men and power?
Cast & Crew
With: Ana Lily Amirpour, Catherine Breillat, Jackie Buet, Margit Czenki, Virginie Despentes, Alice Diop, Valie Export, Nina Menkes, Marzieh Meshkini, Mouly Surya, Céline Sciamma, Joey Soloway, Monika Treut and Apolline Traoré.
Written & directed by Isa Willinger
Cinematography Bernadette Paaßen, Siri Klug, Doro Götz
Editing Lena Hatebur, Nikki Mossböck
Music Brii Bauer, Jeschka Oszilat
A co-production with Tondowski Films (GER) FlairFilm (AUT)
In co-production with ORF Film/Fernsehabkommen ZDF in cooperation with ARTE
With the support of Eurimages, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Austrian Filminstitute & ÖFI+, Vienna Film Fund, Deutscher Filmförderungsfonds, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Creative Europe MEDIA
Festivals
Filmfest Hamburg 2025 (World Premiere)
16th Odesa International Film Festival
27th Festival do Rio
Viennale ’25
66. Festival dei Popoli
16th Doc NYC
