Mendelsohn: „Maria, when we just talked before, Maria had a question, which I didn't allow Natalie to answer, because I wanted you all to hear the answer, which is: ‚How did you get so close to these women? How did they allow you to witness their daily life?’”

Assouline: „I know, there were a few women before that, who tried to make a film about women and I know that when I was there, there were few women reporters that wanted to make an interview and the women didn't want to make the interview. It's part of the research that I did before, it's the try of understanding this code of behaving, the code of the society, where they're coming from and the way this society is thinking. For me, it was like going to a different culture, it's like you're going to something you don't know, going to a different world, so I had to know anything where it was possible for me to go, before I'm going there. And I decided, honestly it's the best policy, and I went there and just sat with the woman, who is in charge of the prisoners. It is very well structured.”

Mendelsohn: „Hierarchically?”

Assouline: „There is one prisoner, who is the spokeswoman, of the other prisoners. And she is in touch with the guards and with the prisoners. And if the prisoners have some kind of requests, then she takes care of it. And she takes care of the budget that they get, she takes care of everything. And each time, I had to go through her. So I had to make a relationship with her. And I said, ok, I'm coming as Natalie, I'm bringing myself, I will be… just everything is open on the table, so I said ‚I want to tell your story, I want to tell the truth. And this is my goal. I'm not interested in what is written in the newspapers, I'm not interested in the slogans I'm reading, I just want to tell the truth.’ And it was built up very slowly, but it was possible. I was filming for two years and every time I went there, it was a very strict routine that I was going through to get this kind of relationship.”

Mendelsohn: „Maria, in your film, you had to learn, I guess, about the codes of a different culture and when you actually filmed with so many Israelis as a German. And I remember, you were asked in Germany then: ‚Was that difficult? Did people perceive you then as a German?’ And did they ask you ‚Why do you film here this Israeli book, which was so successful in Israel and also so successful here, LIEBESLEBEN?’”

Maria Schrader: „Well, I think, like Natalie said, in this small area and we can call it from our point of view, we really can call it a small area, this is divided in completely different societies. People live there very close together a complete different life. And the life I went into, was the Israeli life. And this is very much connected to our kind of society. It's very western. We lived in Tel Aviv, it's very secular, very modern, cosmopolitan place. We can easily connect to everything we find there. The moment you go to Jerusalem it's already a little different, because Jerusalem is so religious in every way. But during my whole stay, I never really got in touch with this kind of society Natalie is portraying there. I travelled through the country, I never went to the Westbank. I saw places just outside from Tel Aviv and correct me if I pronounce it wrong, I saw this little village you drive an hour up north from Tel Aviv, it's called ‚Djeseresaka’. And people live there, who are Palestinians with Israeli passports and still you go there and still it's a jump from the first to the third world. Garbage is not taken away from the streets, they have no electricity, there are construction camps remaining since years and they can travel to Tel Aviv, you know, it's only 45 minutes/an hour from there and it's a completely different life. So, after my stay of three and a half months there, back home, back here they ask me now ‚Did you get any more insight, more understanding of the conflict there?’ And the truth is, the deeper I went into, you know, collecting stories of people that I met, the more complicated it looked to me. Really, the more complicated and unsolvable it looked to me.”

Mendelsohn: „Natalie, you also approach that woman in your documentary very much in a feminine way. You talk about the babies, you talk about the feelings and you always tell her: ‚No, don't tell me now about Allah, and don't tell me now about politics, tell me about the day. Tell me exactly what you did on the day when you drove the bomb to this place!’ Was that your method to always push that?”

Assouline: „Yes, I told her: ‚Think for yourself, you are an individual! You are a part of a nation, but you don't go to bed with the nation. You go to bed with yourself.’ It was very hard for them to try to isolate them from this nation, because this is what keeps them in life in prison. This is, what gives them the strength to get up in the morning and to go sleep every night. They have to have several reasons to make something, because if I'm not sure, if Allah is there or not, you have other reasons to hold on to. So, it's very hard to break this thing.”

Mendelsohn: „In your film, she is a ‚Bibel-Forscherin’, she is studying the bible. So, religion is part of both of your films, as it is part of Israel, even in a secular place. It is always there.”

Assouline: „Yes, I think religion gives a lot of power to the person. It gives them something that there is someone upstairs that takes care of things. And it makes them a bit calm here, because there is something bigger than life. Those prisoners say, that God is with them in prison, because he has a plan. This is for a reason. So, it's very, very strong.”

Mendelsohn: „Very difficult, yes. And in your film, in which part did you feel religion? Was there religion at that time?”

Schrader: „Well, to me, going to Jerusalem, religion is everywhere. And a lot of people out of the crew said ‚Well, we can shoot in Jerusalem’ and we also shot there for two weeks, but I'd rather prefer going back and driving two hours additionally than to stay in that city, because it turned to a very religious place also during the last years. And we shot at the ‚garden of olives’ and we overviewed the city and really, even as a christian, you don't know what was there first. Is it in the air? Is there something different in this place or is it just by my knowledge? There is something different. You feel like this is the mothership of religion, which feeds the earth. It's really true. We shot in ‚der Grabeskirche’ in Jerusalem and it's enormous. Well, let's put it that way: religion in my movie is treated completely different than Palestinans treat religion for their own purpose. You could interpret it like that. In LOVELIFE she is seeking for a bigger force for something to lead her the right way, to give her signs. She is open to forces.”

Audience: „I am very interested in your personal ambition. Why did you make this film?”

Assouline: „Just as I said to the first question that was asked here, it was just very curious for me to know for myself, for Natalie: ‚Who are those women? Why are they doing it?’ I always felt that there is a power stronger than them, that makes them do this. It was just in my blood, I couln't let it go, I had to see it for myself.”

Audience: „Have you had the idea for a long time before you started to research?”

Assouline: „I think I started researching for over six months, maybe a year. So it came more and more inside of me, I just couldn't let it go.”

Mendelsohn: „When you say, you wanted to get some answers, I know a film is never giving an answer, but did you feel you got some clues?”

Assouline: „I think the only answer I allow myself to give in the film, is when I'm asking Mahnal, when it will end. And she says: ‚This is our country and this is ok. Israel people will go away. Will it end? What about Afghanistan?’ And she says the Jihad will never end. This is, why I think, it is very complicated. This is, why I think, we need to approach this situation in a whole different way than we are. It proved himself now for 60 years now that there is no change. Ok, if it doesn't work, let's run another way.”

Audience: „Did you find any hope of change?”

Assouline: „I know that in films it's great to see a good ending, I know. And I read a book about Palestinan women talking about Palestinan women. A very thin, interesting book and they said that only when this society will become a non-religious one, then there is a chance for a change. But as long as they play along in this game… They have to take their powers to their hands. And I told them this: ‚You are 120 women – take the power!’ And they said: ‚Yeah, but who is going to be the first?’” So, we just need to wait for the first.

Mendelsohn: „I thank you so much, everyone in here, especially Natalie and Maria.”