BURNING VOICE: New Danish documentary focuses on negative social control and oppression of women

The Danish documentary BURNING VOICE is a harsh and political film about women's rights, identity and the price of speaking out. Through one woman's personal story, the film depicts how negative social control and oppression of women takes place – not only in Iraq, but throughout the world, including Denmark. BURNING VOICE will premiere at CPH:DOX on 13 March 2026.

Toolbox Film presents BURNING VOICE – a deeply moving documentary directed by debutant Anna Bruun Nørager. The film, which is an intimate and personal portrait of the Danish-Iraqi woman Tamara, shows how women use their own pain as a driving force in an uncompromising struggle for women's rights and self-determination.

PLOT
BURNING VOICE follows Tamara, a Danish-Iraqi woman, mother and activist who, from her life in Denmark, fights against negative social control and the oppression of women. Driven by her own experiences with violence and silence, she has made her voice a weapon for women without rights. At the same time, she balances her roles as mother, daughter and activist while facing both threats and personal loss.

USING HER VOICE AS A WEAPON
As founder of the online platform Iraqi Women’s Rights, Tamara has used her voice as a weapon for both personal survival and collective struggle across cultures for more than a decade, with over 100,000 followers. The fight against honour-related violence, patriarchal structures and a legal system that restricts women's freedom and, instead of protecting women, often protects their oppressors. This is an example of how social media is one of the most important tools against oppressive social structures, women's self-perception and the more hidden oppression that takes place at home in living rooms.

With BURNING VOICE, director Anna Bruun Nørager highlights a global trend where more and more women are being killed around the world solely because of their gender. With this film, she provides a nuanced insight into the power relations that shape the roles of both women and men – not only in Iraq and Denmark, but throughout the world.

THE TEAM BEHIND
BURNING VOICE is directed by Anna Bruun Nørager, who makes her feature film debut with this film. She is also the cinematographer on the film. Anna Bruun Nørager is also behind the short films All Is Now (2021) and #FollowMe (2020).

The film is produced by Maria Stevnbak Westergren for Toolbox Film in co-production with Iraqi Zahraa Ghandour and with support from the Danish Film Institute, Creative Europe, the West Danish Film Fund in collaboration with DR, IMS & Karada Films.

Kind regards
HAVE Kommunikation

For further information, please contact
Emilie Selin // emilie@have.dk // +45 26 11 41 04
Picasa Emily Askjær Grand // picasa@have.dk // +45 30 13 88 80

Facts about BURNING VOICE

Key features:

• Protagonist: Tamara Amir Nouri
• Director: Anna Bruun Nørager
• Producer: Maria Stevnbak Westergren
• Co-producer: Zahraa Ghandour
• Editor: Signe Kaufmann
• Cinematographer: Anna Bruun Nørager
• Sound design: Mark Norup & Peter Schultz
• Composers: Fanmail, Niels Christian Sommer, Nicolai Gabold, Luna Ersahin
• Vocals & Saz: Luna Ersahin
• Colorist: Mamoun Abufarha
• Graphic design: Martin Hultmann
• With support from: The Danish Film Institute, Creative Europe, The West Danish Film Fund in collaboration with DR, IMS & Karada Films

Other facts:

• Premiere: BURNING VOICE will premiere at CPH:DOX on 13 March 2026 at 7.30 p.m.
• Danish title: BRÆNDENDE STEMME