Gulîstan, Land of Roses

A sober, intimate immersion into the daily lives and memories of women fighters, blending quiet reflection with the looming weight of war.

Directed by

Zaynê Akyol

Genres

Documentary, War

Starring

Sozdar Cudî, Rojen Bêrîtan, Nupelda Herekol

Tagline

Kurdish women fighters wage War on ISIS

Overview

They belong to the armed wing of the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is also an active guerrilla movement. The mission of these female fighters? Defend Kurdish territory in Iraq and Syria, and defeat ISIS (the armed militants of the so-called Islamic State group), all while embodying a revolutionary ideal advocating female empowerment. As filmmaker Zaynê Akyol follows their highly regimented lives, seasoned fighters like Rojen and Sozdar openly share with us their most intimate thoughts and dreams. Even as fighting against ISIS intensifies in the Middle East, these women bravely continue their battle against barbarism. Offering a window into this largely unknown world, Gulîstan, Land of Roses exposes the hidden face of this highly mediatized war: the female, feminist face of a revolutionary group united by a common vision of freedom.

How it feels

Earnest, melancholic, tense and dark. Slow-burning and demanding.

About

War, identity, gender, freedom

Content

Strong violence. Mild gore and language. No sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)