Gulîstan, Land of Roses 2016

Overview

Gulîstan, Land of Roses is a 2016 feature-length documentary film directed by Kurdish Montreal filmmaker Zaynê Akyol. Known by its French title, Gulîstan, terre de roses, the documentary focuses on female guerrilla fighters belonging to a Free Women's Unit of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, known as the PKK. The film follows these women as they engage in combat against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also referred to as ISIS. Their mission is to defend Kurdish territory located in Iraq and Syria while embodying a revolutionary ideal that advocates for female empowerment. As filmmaker Zaynê Akyol follows their highly regimented lives, seasoned fighters such as Rojen and Sozdar openly share their most intimate thoughts and dreams. The documentary captures the lives of these members of the armed wing of the PKK as they train, live nomadic lives, and brave intensifying fighting against ISIS in the Middle East.