Filmmaker Halkawt Mustafa is bringing the conflict against ISIS to the big screen with a cinematic thriller centered on a female warrior. The upcoming film “No Paradise if You Are Killed by a Woman” will debut out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival and offers a distinct perspective on the terrorist organization’s impact through a revenge-driven narrative.
The movie follows a Kurdish-Norwegian female sniper who travels back to Mosul, Iraq during ISIS’s occupation with dual missions: seeking vengeance and rescuing her imprisoned younger sister. A newly released teaser showcases intense action sequences and explosive set pieces that highlight the character’s return to the violence she previously endured. Avan Jamal leads the cast as the protagonist, with Norwegian actor Thorbjørn Harr in a supporting role.
Mustafa’s fourth feature film draws inspiration from real accounts of women who resisted ISIS, particularly influenced by human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Nadia Murad, who was kidnapped during the 2014 Yazidi genocide. The director has described the work as “a poetic portrait of a woman warrior who refused to bow to darkness.” The production is handled by Mustafa’s company Hene Films AS in partnership with other producers, with international sales managed by True Colours.
Originally reported by Variety →
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