An exploration of the Kurdish Autonomous Women’s Movement and its emphasis on ecology and feminism.
Lebanon-based artist Marwa Arsanios filmed Who’s Afraid of Ideology in the mountains of Kurdistan in early 2017. The film focuses on the Kurdish Autonomous Women’s Movement. This guerrilla-led movement views gender liberation as having an important role in resolving the conflicts of war, religious tensions and economic struggle. Their most recent participation includes the Syrian revolution, which began in 2011 and remains ongoing.
This film tracks the practical work of the movement – how to use an axe, how to eat fish within their biological production cycles, when to cut down a tree for survival and when to save it.
While filming in the mountains, Arsanios attended and recorded reading groups, became familiar with ecological, natural medicine and followed educational teams to various locations in the region. She complemented her visual material with telephone and Skype discussions with her subjects.
LB, 2018, 23’, Kurdish & English spoken, starts every 30’
