ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Alberto Barbera, Italian film critic and director of Venice Film Festival, praised Kurdish epic No Paradise if Killed by a Woman, adding that he looks forward to seeing Kurdish films in the future.
The film is part of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, the world’s oldest and one of the most prominent international venues, taking place in Venice, Italy, from September 2 to 12.
The synopsis follows a female Peshmerga sniper who secretly enters Islamic State (ISIS) territory in Mosul with the assistance of Iraqi forces to rescue her younger sister. The story reflects the role and sacrifices of Kurdish women during the war against ISIS, when women fought alongside their male Peshmerga counterparts.
Speaking to Rudaw’s Payam Sarbast at the festival in Venice, Barbera said he became aware of the film when the Kurdistan Regional Government’s representative to Italy, Rezan Kader, shared the link to the movie.
“I discovered a great movie. Very spectacular, dealing of course with the peculiar situation of the Kurdish people and the Peshmerga during the war against ISIS,” he said. “I was fully impressed by the strength of the film, its beauty, its political content, so I decided to invite the film immediately.”
He shared the link with the selection committee after watching it. “I didn't expect it to be such a strong and spectacular movie about this war, about the role the Peshmerga and the Kurdish people played against ISIS,” added Barbera.
Per the festival curator, he was adamant to see that the film was presented at the festival particularly due to the “shameful attitude” of western countries towards the Kurdish people despite having fought ISIS.
"I wanted to bring the film to the festival because I wanted a lot of people to watch the movie and realize how important the role of the Peshmerga was during the war,” added Barbera.
“I am very much looking forward to discovering new voices from the Kurdish people,” concluded Barbera.
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