TO MY SISTERS

Berxwedan, commander of a YPJ women’s unit in northern Syria, gave up her dream of a normal life at age 18 to fight against ISIS. After visiting her family, she returns to the front lines – convinced that this struggle is not only for her people, but for the freedom of women worldwide. Sepan, a Yazidi Kurdish woman, was abducted during the 2014 genocide in Sinjar and spent 7 years enslaved by ISIS. For the first time, she is telling her story publicly and showing her face. Her memories bring to life what Berxwedan is fighting for. Another perspective shows just how much this war has also reached the West: A German woman who joined ISIS now lives in Syria.

As the threat from ISIS grows, their stories intertwine and raise the question of what freedom means for women in a world where it sometimes must be defended with weapons.

Faek Falak photos © Falakfilm