A female sniper returns to the battlefield to rescue her younger sister from ISIS captivity.

Vyan, a Kurdish female sniper, has survived war by shutting down her emotions. When she learns her younger sister, believed lost during ISIS’ 2014 assault, may still be alive in Mosul, she returns to a city shaped by death and destruction. Her search becomes both a rescue mission and a confrontation with the trauma she has spent years trying to silence.

“I was inspired by the Kurdish women who stood against the darkness and chose to fight ISIS. Their courage has stayed with me since 2014, when I met women on the front line who were living with fear, loss and uncertainty, yet refused to give up. For me, this film is also a portrait of Kurdish women who, for generations, have fought for their dignity, freedom and right to exist. Although the story takes place in a war zone, it is first and foremost about hope, love and strength. In the midst of a brutal war, I witnessed care, kindness and solidarity. This left a lasting impression on me. The film is also deeply personal. I was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled to Norway as a child. I know what it means to lose your home and live with uncertainty. Through Vyan’s story, I want to honour the women who refused to bow to darkness and fought not only for themselves, but for the freedom of others.” - Halkawt Mustafa, director

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won a special mention of the jury. It has been selected as Iraq’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.