Her War: Women Vs. ISIS

Her War: Women Vs. ISIS

2015, Military and War  -   18 Comments
7.98
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Ratings: 7.98/10 from 119 users.

In the Syrian town of Serekaniye, the people live under constant threat from the unimaginable atrocities of ISIS. The revealing documentary Her War: Women vs. ISIS places us directly in the belly of this region, and explores the surprising and significant number of women who are leading the battle against the infamous terrorist organization.

The warriors depicted in the film have joined the exclusively female wing of the only armed anti-ISIS force in the area - the Kurdish People's Protection Unit, otherwise known as YPJ. They are drawn by a need to protect their families, their homeland, and their way of life. An additional incentive comes in the form of a mandate set forth by the enemy which states that any man killed by a woman will go to Hell.

The recent employment of women in military forces is in answer to the expanding conquests and body counts inflicted by ISIS. It also defies long-held traditional beliefs on the woman's societal placement in that region. As a result, as one male militant observes in the film they are crafting a "revolution within a revolution."

One member of this revolution is Gulan, an 18-year old Kurdish woman who temporarily places her life goals of becoming a teacher aside by joining the army. She feels compelled to fight because her future, and the sanctity of her family's existence, rests upon the defeat of ISIS.

"ISIS attacked us," Gulan's father announces. "They take our kids and cut off their heads. They take our daughters and do terrible things to them. My daughter wanted to join the self-defense forces."

Her War: Women vs. ISIS allows us intimate access to the fears and hopes of many of the women who stand at the front line of the fight. Their stories are inspiring, and their struggles are universally human. First and foremost, their journeys are marked by a determination to have a stake in protecting all they hold dear. But by blazing a new path they are also working to redefine the limitations imposed upon them by the culture, and proving that bravery knows no gender.

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I T
I T
1 month ago

Well-done film: operator's work, the story, the cuts, the sound. Why don't we focus on the film here and not on the unrelated issues of politics? The team did an exceptional job risking their lives and probably dying from the heat there. For those who want to discuss politics, let's ask: would ISIS be suppressed as much as it has recently without PKK putting the life of these girls under fire? Or perhaps negative comments are made here by those who support ISIS.

UK Citizen
UK Citizen
4 years ago

Brave fighters and the Kurds should be lauded for their fight against the disgusting Daesh and their allies. The Kurds stood alone whilst many Turks side with Daesh and the international community ignores this fact. Viva Kurds, viva PKK and may Turkey rot in hell with Daesh and its allies!

Mighty Atom
Mighty Atom
7 years ago

@ Ghaith - your propaganda is hilarious! Anyway, Long Live PKK!

Karzan
Karzan
7 years ago

Ghaith, you just ate a big SH!T, your problem is not PKK, is the word "Kurd". I'm happy that you got upset with the successes of Kurds.

FLO
FLO
7 years ago

@Horst Manure the let out ululations. as they are coming.

Ghaith
Ghaith
8 years ago

PKK are a terrorist organization, has no principles and you name it Drug, weapons trafficking in Turkey and Europe and every kurd business owner MUST be a fee to them every month, of-course PKK är the holy protector for the kurd nation they believe.
PKK in Syria fighting with AL Assad (the has the same religion ground ) against Syrians people.
PKK is just one piece of SH!T....

GMC
GMC
8 years ago

I wonder how many Non state owned News programs that broadcast from Russia in ENGLISH........Yes thats right....ZERO

GMC
GMC
8 years ago

Maybe RT opps! did a good program, I hope its not by accident, I hope thery are learning that the truth works best for them and everyone. Now lets see it in there news broadcasts, especially when they are representing their own Govt. ractions, responses ETC like plane crashes and the like.

Bruce
Bruce
8 years ago

It is important that Kurdish girls/women are personalised, empowered, even just experienced as ephemeral notions... anything beyond servitude really. Also, they are so heartbreakingly beautiful and hopeful...

DeezNutz
DeezNutz
8 years ago

I agree with everything Renik said.

mark
mark
8 years ago

I almost cried at the end for these girls.

michael sullivan
michael sullivan
8 years ago

Why did the Islamic god (Allah) who is the creator of everything make such a savage and brutal ideological belief system?

Horst Manure
Horst Manure
8 years ago

So how do the Muslims work out which is a female bullet???

Renik
Renik
8 years ago

You could call this propaganda, and it is, of a sort. However, all of the participants in this doc spoke for themselves. If you trust the translations to English that were given, these people certainly have a story to tell. I, for one, enjoyed hearing that story. It doesn't get told enough in our media.

The Kurds are the boots on the ground that no one else is willing to commit. When the Iraqi army crumbled who was there? Pretty much just the Kurds, as I understand it. ISIS may very well be a CIA/Mossad contrivance, but it is indisputable that ISIS rapes and pillages wherever they are allowed to go. Somebody has to stop the Islamic State and it would be preferable if the U.S. didn't jump into another multi-trillion dollar debacle.

It's a true shame that the U.S. and other NATO governments have let the Turks begin that damn bombing campaign against the Kurds. The PKK is still considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. state department. They're just too far left I guess. Who knows what agenda is really at play over there.

Malus Ultor
Malus Ultor
8 years ago

Is this the same ISIS that was created by the US / UK and are trained and controlled by the israeli Mossad?

John
John
8 years ago

RT is just a peace of Putins propaganda...