19 year-old Hala escapes an arranged marriage by crossing the Euphrates River to find a new home at a Kurdish Women’s Protection Unit - a unit which soon after liberates her hometown of Minbij from the Islamic State. For her female fellow soldiers, the enemy is not just IS, but patriarchy in general, with the ideal of marriage as the ultimate oppressive institution. The brutalities these young women have experienced at the hands of their husbands and within their own families lead them to THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER where they are trained in combat and educated in the feminist ideals of the Kurdish Women’s Movement. Hala is deeply inspired by these teachings and resolutely dedicates herself to the promise of not only freeing more women, but also liberating her sisters at all costs.
Length: 92 minutes / year of release: 2021
Supported by: Filmförderung Hessen, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig Holstein, Federal Ministry of Culture (BKM), Gucci Tribeca Fund, YLE, AVEK, Finish Film Fund, Women Make Movies
Written, directed and filmed by: Antonia Kilian
Co-Authors: Guevara Namer and Arash Asadi
Editor: Arash Asadi
Producers: Frank Müller (Doppelplusultra)
Antonia Kilian (pinkshadowfilms),
Guevara Namer
Co-producer: Merja Ritola
Music: Shkoon
Sound Design and Mix: Stephan Konken
Colourist: Sally Shamas
Poster: Naji El Mir
Sales Agent: Syndicado FS
German Distributor: JIP Film und Verleih
Festivals and Awards:
German Film Award LOLA 2022 Best Documentary
German Documentary Newcomer Award
Hessischer Filmaward 2021
Shortlisted for the European Film Award 2021
Premiere at CPH:DOX in F:ACT Award
Dokfest Munich - Awarded with VFF Production Price
Biografilm Bologna - Documentary Competition
Molodist Kiew Filmfestival - Documentary Competition
Fünf Seen Filmfest - Awarded with Best Documentary
Espoo Ciné Int. Film Festival Finnland - Gategory - Competition
Love & Anarchy - Helsinki
Filmkunstfest MV - Documentary Competition
Docs Against Gravity Poland - Documentary Competition
Syrian Doc Days Copenhagen - International Competition
Achtung Berlin - Awarded with Best Cinematography
Sofia DocuMental - International Documentary Filmfestival
Baltic Sea Forum Riga
Flahertiana Filmfestival Russia - International Documentary Competition
Saratov Suffering Russia - International Competition
International Human Rights Filmfestival Nürnberg - International Forum
Chicago International Filmfestival - International Documentary Competition
Docs MX Mexico - Awarded with DocsMX Best Film Award
Mostra Sao Paolo - International Documentary Competition
Kurdish Filmfestival Berlin - Documentary Competition
Women’s World Film Festival Berlin
Dea Open Air International Film Festival Albania
Biberacher Filmfest - Awarded with Best Documentary Award
Kinenova Macedonia Int. Film Festival - Awarded with Grand Prix
Kasseler Documentary Filmfest - Special Mention Golden Herkules
Duhok International Filmfestival - Best International Documentary Award
DocsMX Valencia - International Competition
Panorama Coisa de Cinema Brasil - Best International Documentary Award
International Filmfestival Bangladesh - Best International Documentary
International Women’s Film Festival Dortmund Cologne - Special Mention Best Cinematography