Drowning Girls

Screenwriters Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, and Daniela Vlaskalic based their script on the true story of Bessie Mundy, Alice Burnham, and Margaret Lofty. All three were murdered between 1912 and 1914 by the same man, George Joseph Smith.

Smith took the women by surprise by marrying them shortly after meeting them, persuading them to sign over all their possessions to him—and finally murdering them in bathtubs.

Despite this grim premise, the play is also characterized by a dark, disturbing humor. It not only shows how women can still be exposed to vulnerable situations today, but also looks back to a time when many women were financially or socially dependent on men. A time that encouraged abuse in all its forms – physical, emotional, economic, and social.

The unspoken message of the play is that violence against women in its various forms is unfortunately still a reality.

In Turkish with German surtitles.

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia.