The Other Side of the River – a film by Antonia Kilian

Synopsis

In order to avoid a forced marriage, 19-year-old Hala finds shelter across the Euphrates (North-East Syria), at a Military Academy for women. While learning how to fight, she gets inspired by the promise of freeing every woman. After the Kurdish military takes over her city from ISIS, Hala returns as a police force entitled to protect other women in danger. Hala finds herself ready to fullfil her greatest dream: to free her younger sisters from her father’s hand.

Τhe threat of a forced marriage and the brutal stories of female oppression lead more and more women to the other side of the river. They are trained in a strict military-style, taught that they have to protect themselves with weapons against the patriarchic society. But is there freedom to be found in a military system in the middle of war?

Synopsis

In order to avoid a forced marriage, 19-year-old Hala finds shelter across the Euphrates (North-East Syria), at the Military Academy. While learning how to fight, she gets inspired by the promise of freeing every woman. Hala returns as a policewoman to her hometown authorized to protect other vulnerable women. She finds herself ready to fulfill her greatest dream: to free her younger sisters from her father’s hand. Τhe threat of marriage and the brutal stories of female oppression lead more women to the other side of the river. They are trained in a strict military-style, taught that men are the enemy. But is there freedom to be found between holding a gun against the patriarchic society or be deprived of the possibility to love?

The Film Team

German Filmmaker Antonia Kilian lived in North-East Syria for one year for the production of this film. Right in the beginning, she met Kurdish Syrian Filmmaker Sevinaz Evdike from Komîna Fîlm a Rojava. Antonia supported the works of this film collective with workshops and the production of several short films about women’s rights that they did with an all-female crew. The Collective supported Antonia for her film and Sevinaz became her Production Manager and Assistant. Soon Antonia met Iranian Filmmaker and Writer Arash Asadi who became the Co-Author and Editor of her film. Together they explored the key themes of Hala’s story and continued their cooperation and friendship in Germany, where Arash moved after the end of the filming.

Back in Berlin, Antonia was lucky to meet Kurdish Syrian Filmmaker Guevara Namer with whom she took a trip to Syria. This second shooting trip deepened her understanding of Hala’s family situation. Guevara became the Co-Author and Producer of The Other Side of the River.

The collaboration in this team is based on friendship, solidarity and mutual respect for each one´s perspective.

The Film Team

The collaboration in this team is based on friendship, solidarity and mutual respect for each one´s perspective.

Director’s Motivation

I went to North-East Syria in the summer of 2016 exactly when the Syrian Democratic Forces (the forces of the Kurdish autonomous region called “Rojava”) took over the City of Manbij from the Islamic State. I was part of a solidarity movement for Rojava that was formed among leftist activists in Europe. As a feminist, I was fascinated by their promise of women’s liberation based on a grassroots democracy, and I wanted to see how these promises would be put into praxis.

When I met Hala, I immediately fell in love with her, and she urgently wanted to tell her story to me. She had just escaped from her family in Manbij, and I was fascinated by her strength and positive energy.

I was curious about a generation of young women, represented by Hala, coming from traditional families yet looking for an emancipated life, who grew up in the middle of the Syrian war between many frontlines. What are their choices in these extreme conditions between IS, Military, and war? What are their dreams? What means freedom to them and how can they achieve this in the middle of the biggest conflict of the 21st century?

Antonia Kilian

Director’s Motivation

Antonia Kilian

Antonia Kilian

Antonia is a director, cinematographer and producer. She studied Visual Communication as well as Art and Media at the Berlin University of Arts and Cinematography in Film University in Potsdam Babelsberg and at the ISA in Havana, Cuba. In this time she worked as DoP for several films, both fiction and documentary that run on numerous festivals and created video installations and directed documentary shorts. Her directorial debut “The other side of the river” she shot for more then one year in North East Syria. Since 2018 she is based between Kassel and Berlin and runs her own production company Pink Shadow Films.

Antonia Kilian

Credits

Featuring
Hala & Sosan Mustafa

Director
Antonia Kilian

Director of Photography
Antonia Kilian

Script
Antonia Kilian
Guevara Namer
Arash Asadi

Editor
Arash Asadi

Original Music
composed by Shkoon

Sound design and Re-recording
Stephan Konken

Colourist
Sally Shamas

Graphic Designer
Naji El Mir

Producers
Frank Müller
Antonia Kilian
Guevara Namer
Merja Ritola

Production Manager
Sevinaz Evdike (Komîna Film a Rojava)

Commissioning Editor
Erkko Lyytinen

Produced by: Doppelplusultra Filmproduktion & Pink Shadow Films

In co-production with: Greenlit Productions Oy