BECAUSE
THE FIRST
WOMAN
SAID.
A film by
Andrea Eidenhammer
Feature
Documentary
90 Min.
© Andrea Eidenhammer & Ruzica Sirovina
Production / Summer to Winter 2026
CINEMA PREMIERE
AUTUMN 2027
Peninah, a Samburu woman from Kenya,
navigates between two worlds – Austria and Kenya.
Her journey is a courageous balancing act between cultural heritage
and the fight for women’s empowerment across both societies.
Because She Asked Why
Peninah grew up in a world shaped by men.
The elders made the rules – tradition gave the answers.
And whenever Peninah, curious and questioning from an early age, asked her grandmother why things had to be the way they were, the answer was always the same:
“Because the first men said.” – Because it had always been that way.
Years later, as her grandmother was dying, she asked to speak to Peninah one last time. She had one wish for her granddaughter who had never stopped asking questions:
May your courage, your curiosity and your determination help create a world where one day the answer will be: ““Because the first woman said.”
This is where our film begins.