Germany, shortly before the elections. Anita Martinelli (Britta Hammelstein) and Sarah Bedford (Mavie Hörbiger) have big political goals with their new women's party, FEM. They want a new system in which ecology, equality, and sustainability are top priorities. But during the election campaign, a new disease breaks out that only affects men. Differences between the sexes, which were thought to have long been overcome, now throw society into turmoil.

When the chancellor (Godehard Giese) falls victim to the virus, the women take over the government. Anita Martinelli's husband Ralph (Yousef ‘Joe’ Sweid), an experienced virologist, and his team are tasked with developing a vaccine against the virus in a remote, well-guarded forest laboratory. While the self-proclaimed Chancellor Bedford secretly boycotts work on the vaccine, Anita Martinelli and a group of other women decide to stop the repressive government's plans.

THE PROTECTED MEN by Irene von Alberti is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Merle and translates the literary template into a visually powerful mixture of satire, political drama, and social commentary. With striking images that oscillate between a cool vision of the future and colorful play, the film develops its own unique aesthetic. The cast, including well-known German actresses and actors such as

Britta Hammelstein, Mavie Hörbiger, and Godehard Giese, underscores the ambivalence between comedy and seriousness.

THE PROTECTED MEN celebrated its world premiere in 2024 at the Munich Film Festival in the “New German Cinema” series. In the same year, the film was shown at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the “Rebels with a Cause” section and won an award for its original and provocative execution. It also screened at the FrauenWelten Filmfest, where it sparked discussions about power, gender, and politics.