The movie Kobanê directed by Ozlem Yaşar and produced by the Rojava Film Commune, will premier today in the city of Kobanê at the Cultural Centre. The film will be screened for a week in the city which resisted and defeated the Islamic State in 2014-15.

The film tells the story of the resistance carried out by the people of the city, focusing on some of the protagonists of that resistance. 

It is a passionate film, as passionate was the resistance of the women and men who defeated ISIS.

In 2014, ISIS was at the peak of its strength and controlled half of Syria and Iraq. It was advancing towards the city of Kobanê.

The movie, by Ozlem Yaşar, follows Zehra, who is 32 years old, is part of the female Kurdish forces there. Together with her fellow fighters, they are combating ISIS with all their strength in the rural areas around the city, but ISIS keeps advancing with its brutal forces.

As the war reaches the city centre, Dijwar, the commander in charge of Zehra and the forces in Kobane, frightens and runs away. Zehra, who had already lost many of her beloved comrades, finds herself compelled to become the commander in charge and leads the resistance in the besieged city of Kobanê.

ISIS advance is slowed down with the arrival of Gelhat, an experienced guerrilla fighter, and his comrades who are familiar with urban war. But this lasts only for a while: ISIS, stronger in numbers and weapons, besieges them.

Exhausted, losing territory, becoming fewer in numbers, and about to run out of ammunition, the Kurdish fighters come up with a plan to retake the city. Yet, the plan falls apart when ISIS fiercely launches a crushing attack at them from all sides.

Gelhat and many others fall martyrs, but Zehra and the rest do not give up and resist with all their power. As ISIS members lose their spirit and start to disperse, Zehra leads the break of the siege. The liberation of the city begins.

This is a story of faith, resistance, heroism, sacrifice, love, comradeship, hope, betrayal, immorality, fear, and loss, together with the intensity of war and revolution: “Nothing will ever be the same again”.