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Netflix Documentary Puts Shirin David’s Private Struggles in Focus Ahead of March 13 Release

The film centers on her account of school bullying and later online abuse that she says kept her homebound for two years.

Overview

  • “Barbara – Becoming Shirin David” arrives on Netflix on March 13, directed by Michael Schmitt and filmed during preparations for her second arena tour.
  • The narrative contrasts her chart success — including seven number-one singles and a major stadium tour — with the personal toll behind the scenes.
  • David recalls being targeted at school, citing a Schüler VZ group titled “Ich hasse Barbara,” and describes feeling like an outsider.
  • She says sustained online harassment in her mid‑twenties led her to stay inside for two years, a period her mother condemns as “krank.”
  • The documentary depicts intense perfectionism, stage anxiety and image pressures, touches on cosmetic procedures she has discussed publicly, and shows her grieving not reconciling with her father before his death.