In the Matriarchy Film Room, curated by Laura Hirch, films about matriarchy, female wisdom, and women’s history will be shown throughout the day. There, you can retreat from the hectic festival life, learn, and enjoy.

Film program available for download, designed by Laura Hirch

Andrea Lötscher is an ethnologist and filmmaker. She was born in Basel in 1974. She spent her childhood in Switzerland and Canada. She has lived in Germany since 1989.
1994 – 2001 Studied ethnology at the WWU Münster, degree: Master
2001 Edited a first documentary film project
2001-2004 Worked as an assistant director and editor in a Cologne film production company
2007 Founded Mondrosen – Documentary Films. Since then she has worked as a freelance filmmaker in the field of documentary film, image film, and documentation. Over 120 short films and two long documentaries have been produced.

Since the beginning of 2024 she has been studying “Modern Matriarchy Research” at the HAGIA Academy.

BALTIC HEALING. A documentary film followed by a film discussion
In the Latvian Pirts (traditional sauna/steam bath), an ancient European healing tradition has survived to the present day. It is based on herbal medicine and is connected to nature and the festivals of the year.

BALTIC HEALING was filmed in June 2023 during the summer solstice celebrations. The documentary portrays four healers who work in the Pirts. The Pirts ritual is compared to returning to the womb and subsequent rebirth. During the ritual, the healers use flowers, medicinal herbs, bundles of birch branches, herbal body scrubs, massages, ancient chants… and fly agarics (Amanita muscaria)… to reconnect their patients with their body and soul.

Because that is healing: returning to our true self.

www.mondrosen.com

Laura Hirch (*1987) is a conscious filmmaker, journalist, artist and student of ancient herstory and matriarchal research. Her projects, including the independent docu-series “From the Goddess,” focus on themes of women’s wisdom/ herstory, healing, spirituality, and art, aiming to highlight the sacred roles of women in society and to challenge the patriarchal narrative. Based in Munich and Berlin, she blends her spiritual and eco-feminist perspectives into her creative endeavors.

From the Goddess – Docuseries
At our festival, Laura will present one episode of her 6-part docu series FROM THE GODDESS which explores the roles of women and goddess spirituality in both historical and modern contexts. Her project aims to highlight the sacredness of women and their contributions to society, while also addressing the impacts of patriarchy and envisioning a more balanced future.

In this series, magnificent Goddess scholars like Max Dashu, Vicki Noble, Joan Marler, Miriam Robbins Dexter, Hallie Iglehart Austen, Starr Goode, Charlene Spretnak, Starhawk, Arisiak Rasak, Cristina Biaggi, Dr. Heide Göttner-Abendroth, and many many more are featured.

Film Room
She will also curate a Matriarchy Film Room where you can retreat from the buzzing festival life and watch films about Matriarchy, Female Wisdom and Herstory all day long.

www.womenbodiment.com

Nana Sturm
Trained as an actress, I worked in this profession until 2020. Then the Matriwissen channel went online and I completed training in healing massage and graduated from the Hagia Academy as a matriarchy consultant.

Matriarchal knowledge on YouTube – a journey that will soon last five years
In 2020, there was suddenly a lot of time to reflect on what is actually important – and that’s how the YouTube channel Matriwissen was born. Because knowledge of matriarchies not only gives us a perspective on a real alternative to our current political and social system: it also enables us to see through the patriarchal structures within us and around us. Recognize, name, heal! That’s what I’m all about.

On this path, I have conducted numerous interviews, with many women and some men, and have created a colorful cornucopia of matriarchal knowledge that is freely available.

In addition to presenting film examples, I also talk about my experiences on this journey and invite you to talk!

I look forward to meeting you in person!
Nana Sturm

Youtube Kanal Matriwissen

Association MatriaVal e.V.
The association MatriaVal e.V. is concerned with matriarchal societies and matriarchal values. The Val in the association’s name comes from val=value (value).

Matriarchal societies are societies in balance, they are oriented towards nature, peaceful in all areas, women and men respect each other and old age is highly respected. Mothers are at the centre and the maternal principle of nurturing and caring is the basis for the entire social structure. Numerous matriarchal societies exist worldwide.

Motherland letters
The motherland letters come to women four times a year: in spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Reports and stories are told about matriarchies around the world and all the different activities, projects and experiences that bring matriarchal elements into our everyday lives, be it in ourselves, in the family or in public spaces.

Motherland (documentary film)
The home of the Minangkabau is in West Sumatra, Indonesia. With several million members, they form the largest matriarchal society in the world. They live according to Adat, the maternal natural law – in peaceful coexistence with Islam. House, farm and land are in the hands of women. The film tells of everyday life from the perspective of 33-year-old Yelfia Susanti, who knows how to ensure balance and a good life for everyone with her large clan.

A film by Uschi Madeisky, Dagmar Margotsdotter, Yelfia Susanti

Where the free women live (documentary film)
The Mosuo people live in the south of China, around Lake Lugu. The Mosuo are known for their harmonious coexistence. There is no jealousy, no violence and no war. They do not know opposites such as “poor” and “rich”. Striving for power is foreign to them. They are considered to be very content and happy people. The entire social coexistence is based on the living environment of women and children. Men are the caring supporters.

A film about the matriarchy of the Mosuo by Uschi Madeisky, Daniela Parr, Dagmar Margotsdotter

https://matriacon.net/
https://www.tomult.de/

OPUS MULIERUM – a traveling exhibition on the forgotten art of women
The «Opus mulierum» exhibition showcases women from four millennia who were active in the fields of alchemy, healing, cosmetics, and perfume making. They frequently pioneered work at the still and in the processing of medicinal plants. «Opus mulierum» refers to the work of women (and housewives), as the practical experience they gained in the home—through cooking, pottery, bread baking, beer brewing, and more—was applied to alchemical pursuits.

More information about the exhibition
destillierkunst.de/opus-mulierum

Guardians
Susanne Fischer-Rizzi, Anke Brüchert, Dorothea Rupprecht, Rita Reinicke, Roswitha Klein, Roswitha Ziegler, Sandra Kesenheimer, Amarilis Gonzales Gomez, Anita Schrotberger, Antonia Knobloch, Claudia Mauti, Ellen Voges, Esther Kempf, Lisa Raimund, Markus Metzger, Monika Trost, Prisca Vetsch, Sabine Krummrei, Sibylle Wagner, Sonja, Susan Wacker, Vera Schneider, Viktoria Günter-Pavel

www.destillierkunst.de

Carmen Navarro
My dance journey began at the age of three within my family, at celebrations. I learned authentic flamenco, Oriental folklore, tribal dance, Sufi dance, ecstatic dance, Persian dance, trance dance, and group dance — including performances, live music, and performance art — as well as choreography and dance training.

I offer workshops, guidance, and facilitation for intuitive circle dance with live drumming and sound journeys, as well as workshops and guidance for women’s Sufi trance dance.

Goddesses speech visible in dance pattern
My workshop introduces movements and patterns from the traditional dance language of the goddesses: pantomimic gestures, depictions of the elements, honoring the feminine, foot and pelvic movements from tribal dances, hair dancing, and empowering postures. Learn these techniques and integrate them into your daily life, your dancing, and celebrations.

https://www.instagram.com/dancespiritnow/

Barbara Brosch
Since 1993, I have been self-employed, organizing seasonal events and trips (including by coach) for women—destinations have included Ireland, Avalon, and sites associated with the Goddess in Germany.
For the past 18 years, within our Beguine community at Malgarten Monastery, we have danced every morning on our «Beguine land»—a space featuring a spiral, a fire pit, and a vegetable garden, all surrounded by water and large trees.

Morning Circle Dance
Greet the day in the castle park with simple, meditative, and invigorating circle dances—moving in silence to beautiful music, yet connected to one another and to everything around us.

Lament Spiral with Book of Lament and Bowl of Tears
We raise our voices in public, powerful lament, following the tradition of women mourners. Organized and prepared by women ritualists from the Lower Rhine, the Osnabrück region, and the Lake Constance area.

A space for your lament regarding genocide, war, militarization, violence against women… There is room for all your concerns. Accessible at any time on the grounds.

Lament Ritual
Here you can raise your voice. As a circle, we support one another through singing, drumming, and stomping… please bring drums and rattles.

A time of quiet reflection—accompanied by candles and songs of lament and mourning—continues until approximately 11:00 PM.

Friday, July 2, 2027, 7:00 PM – at the Lament Spiral

www.frauenreisen-barbara-brosch.de
www.beginen-in-malgarten.de

BarbAra Ihme – Soul expert, qualified therapist, lecturer, author, and founder of the «Lebensglück Akademie» (Academy for a Happy Life). Practitioner of Soul Work according to the IHME® method. Dedicated to the «Mütterwand» (Mothers’ Wall) and «Human Duties» through workshops, campaigns, readings, exhibitions, and the popular Mütterwand T-shirts.

An inner encounter with the Clan Mothers of the Lake Constance Mütterwand—a 6,000-year-old sanctuary of the feminine
Let the Mütterwand tell you its story. Make space for it in your heart, your womb, and your daily life! The womb and the soul know everything; they are familiar with the past, present, and future. As with other festivals of the feminine, I invite you to dive inward and delve deeper into remembrance—reaching back to the roots we all share, to our ancestresses, the Mothers of the Lake, so that we may cherish and honor them. For the blessing of them, of us, and of all. It is always fascinating to discover what they wish to tell us and what they want us to experience.

www.barbaraihme.de

Ingemar Rohn
For almost 40 years I have been studying the old Neolithic egalitarian, women-respecting cultures that lived in harmony with nature and all beings and worshipped the Great Mother in her countless aspects.
I am very familiar with the Minoan culture on Crete. Since the late 1990s I have been offering women’s trips to Crete together with Arunga Heiden, where dance, singing and visiting Minoan sites are part of our seminars.
Born in Romania myself, I also offer women’s trips there, including to the archaeological sites and museums of the Cucuteni and Gumelnita cultures.
The spirituality of the matriarchal cultures was firmly integrated into people’s everyday lives. There was no separation between politics and everyday life. People lived a ritualized life.
In the Minoan culture in particular, ritual dance was, among other things, the medium for contacting the Great Mother/Goddess, feeling her and asking for support.
Since 1996 I have been offering dance seminars in Heidelberg, Überlingen and other places and every time I am touched and delighted to feel connected to the community and the divine power in the dance in the great network.

(Ritual) circle dances – dances for the joy of life
The circle dance has been an elementary form of expression for people for thousands of years and an integral part of their spiritual life and being. In ritual dancing we integrate ourselves into cosmic processes, open our hearts and our senses to dialogue with the spiritual forces. In the connection to earth and sky, to ourselves, we immerse ourselves in the power of the circle.
We will dance (simple) dances from the Balkans, Greek, Romanian, our own choreographies, dances that awaken our joy of life and celebrate the abundance of summer…

www.kreistanz-ingemar.de

Sandra Dünki
After an extensive world tour that took me to China via the Trans-Siberian Railway, I remained captivated by Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Taoist perspective on humanity and the universe. For 25 years, I have run a successful practice for TCM and naturopathy in Winterthur, specializing in acupuncture, Tuina/massage, herbal medicine, and nutrition.

In addition, I teach Qi Gong in various courses and schools. It gives me great satisfaction to share a method for maintaining and promoting health with my students.

Qi Gong – Meditation in Motion
Qi Gong is a form of Chinese meditation in motion that gently guides you toward inner balance. Through slow, flowing movements, you experience deep relaxation that has a beneficial effect on body, mind, and soul.

The practice encompasses exercises for the body, breathing, concentration, and meditation. These practices improve flexibility and balance, reduce stress and tension, and strengthen inner peace and joy.

www.praxis-punktgenau.ch

Melanie Nowak is a dance and movement therapist with her own private practice and the founder of NatureLoveDance—a form of healing dance practiced in and with nature. Her mission is to guide people toward their hearts, helping them establish a meaningful connection with themselves, others, and the natural world.

Planetary Dance
The Planetary Dance is a ritual dedicated to peace among people and with the Earth. It was part of the opening ceremony in 2025 and will play this role again in 2027. It is a simple walking ritual performed in a spiral formation, and everyone is welcome to participate.

Developed by dance pioneer Anna Halprin, the Planetary Dance has been celebrated annually around the globe since the 1980s. What makes this peace ritual special is the collective power that fosters connection and strengthens the heartfelt intentions of each individual. The drums set a shared (heart)beat, and every step becomes a personal prayer.

www.melanienowak.de

Claudio Harder—organizational developer, coach, process worker, and grandfather. Founder and managing director of enterprises in the social economy. He is committed to healing the legacies of the patriarchy and to fostering matriarchal knowledge and consciousness. He is fascinated by cooperative, empathetic, and life-affirming forms of interaction.

Men – Paths Out of Unease
Many men today experience a sense of unease arising from the tension between societal role expectations, the pressure to conform, and their own personal or ethical standards.

We know what we want to move away from, but rarely where we want to go or what a suitable path forward might look like. We lack shared visions of a life-affirming future for men. What can I contribute? Are there ways to be a man who is at peace with himself—and also accepted by others?

An exchange regarding the journey of exploration and discovery; shared reflection.

www.n-b.ch

Arunga Heiden
As a musician and composer, I share my life experience and spirituality through my songs, sounds, and dances. I am deeply familiar with the healing, cosmic power of sound and teach this in my training groups. For over 30 years, I have been exploring ancient goddess cultures—both at home and abroad—conducting research, sharing my passion, and leading seminar journeys. Crete and its ancient culture are my second home.

Ancestral Cycle – a sung, multisensory mystery play exploring our connection across the generations
I invite you to experience the cycle of becoming and passing away—of past, present, and future; of the invisible and visible worlds; and of being held within the lineage of ancestors and the unfolding of the cosmos—through a game I have developed that involves singing and drumming within four concentric circles.
In patriarchal cultures, we have lost our connection to the generations that came before and those that follow. Without this connection, we have become unmoored, disoriented, and immoderate. Drawing upon matriarchal values, we consciously place ourselves once again within this lineage of generations and cosmic cycles.

To begin, we will all learn the four melodies and short texts corresponding to the four circles. Afterward, we will experience the cycle together. There may also be time for a brief group discussion.

www.arunga-heiden.de

Carien Wijnen (b. 1956, NL): Voice and vocal therapist, vocal sound healer, singer, CD producer, choir director, physician, naturopath, and body psychotherapist; a pioneer since 1986 in the healing and empowering effects of holistic voice and vocal work. She leads numerous seminars both at home and abroad.

Arriving in the body through singing and toning – Healing Voice®
A wonderful warm-up for voice and body
Intensive body and breath work
Healing toning
Singing and dancing for Mother Earth

www.healingvoice.de

Monika Fustermanns
For 30 years I have been on the medicine path of natural religious and Buddhist traditions. Professionally I accompany people, often women, through shamanic work, with various massages, meditation and singing. Having grown up on an old farm, I love the cycles of nature and the moon, the different seasons and their qualities, the animals, trees and plants, especially edible and healing wild herbs, music, travel, languages, special places of power and the independent self-sufficient life in direct contact with the hands in the earth, connected to the four elements.
In addition, as a whole family we love old crafts and sometimes pass these on to small groups and have created some community structures on the Fellerhof in Willich, such as helping and baking together (in the clay oven), handicraft and spinning meetings, a SoLaWi in development…
I am always very excited by the implementation of small, local groups, circles and solidarity communities of all kinds, because for me they are quintessentially feminine, viable and meaningful.
I have carried children three times, given birth to them, breastfed them for a long time and accompanied them out of school for 12 years, with a life base in Lorraine/France.
If there is a lot of interest, I could also offer a spontaneous, open discussion group/exchange on school-free education (in Germany or Europe) or bring materials for viewing.

Singing heartfelt songs together
For many years I have regularly organized small and large singing circles around a fire pit or bowl or an altar with candles, often combined with the annual cycle festivals. We sing simple mantras, heartfelt and women’s songs from all over the world together, in the respective languages ​​and rhythms, and allow ourselves to be touched and carried by them. I accompany most of the songs on the guitar. My particular heartfelt concern lies in the songs and prayers for our beautiful Mother Earth. Some songs may also be danced to.

www.monika-fustermanns.de

Yael Deckelbaum is a musician and peace activist known for her song «Prayer of the Mothers», which became the anthem of the March of Hope. She uses her music to inspire positive change and support nonviolent communication between cultures in conflict, emphasizing the need for female leadership.

Voice Ceremony
For thousands of years, the female voice has been restricted and silenced. Like our sexuality, our voice is the key that connects us to our true power. It is magnificent, it is beautiful, it is wise and holds great spiritual expression. An expression that we have not allowed ourselves to express freely for far too many generations.

For all people, the voice is a ladder – a meeting point between spirit and matter. And for most of us, access to this gateway is limited by the partitions that life has taught us to erect.

Through our breathing, through exercises and some simple tools, we will learn to dissolve these barriers of shame, judgement and guilt and free the wings of the hidden voice, to love it again, to enjoy this free expression as individuals and as part of a group, and to join our voices in harmony.

www.yaeldeckelbaum.com

Claudio Harder
Organizational development specialist, coach, process worker, grandfather. Founder and managing director of social enterprises. Committed to healing the legacies of the patriarchy and to fostering matriarchal knowledge and consciousness. Fascinated by cooperative, empathetic, and life-affirming forms of interaction.

Book Presentation: Matriarchal & Post-Patriarchal Organizing
What defines matriarchal organizing? How do the underlying attitudes and approaches manifest? How and where can steps in this direction be taken within one’s own environment today? How can personal initiatives and projects be approached accordingly? How can we shape cultural change? An exchange of ideas and discussion regarding potential implementation.

https://www.n-b.ch/

Martina C. Meier, born in 1961, daughter of Carola Meier-Seethaler, a biologist by profession, theorist of nonviolence and long-time activist against genetic and reproductive technology. I would describe myself as an ecofeminist.
Co-editor of the commemorative publication, which will be published in January 2027, with the title: “Origins and Liberation – The Art of Radical Philosophizing. Carola Meier-Seethaler in memory.”

Recognizing patriarchal thought patterns – what we can learn from Carola Meier-Seethaler
At this workshop I will give a 20-minute input on the work and the commemorative publication in honor of Carola Meier-Seethaler. We then discuss the significance of the author’s theses and findings for today’s women’s, ecology and peace movements.
The commemorative publication can be purchased at the workshop.

www.martina-carola-meier.ch

Sofie della Vanth
A woman of the land and crafts, a performer, activist, and craniosacral therapist, I dance through life on the waves of transformative shamanic experiences. Based in Italy for the past 25 years, I am deeply connected and active through publications, seminars, venues, and networks—in love with the living magic of existence.

«Earth Voices – The Powerful Disobedience of Women’s Shamanic Reawakening»
This book is a foundational work that links shamanism with a political stance and, in the process, redefines a host of paradigms from the perspective of interconnected being… through a matriarchal-feminist lens! The work distills the timeless, embodied, and distinctly feminine wisdom found in countless women’s circles, shamanic-political experiences, and unbridled, ongoing collective inquiry.

www.sciamadonne.com
www.ladanzasullasoglia.com