Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, after watching the film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman”, Iraq’s entry for the 2027 Academy Awards, stated: Cinema is the shortest path for us, as the people of Kurdistan, to convey our stories and significant historical narratives as well as the battle against ISIS to the nations of the world.
According to the report of Mansour Jahani, an independent and international film journalist, Nechirvan Idris Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Commander-in-Chief of the Peshmerga forces, spoke at a special screening of the film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman”, Iraq’s entry for the 2027 Academy Awards held at the Empire Cinema complex in Erbil. He remarked that although not much time has passed since the ISIS attack, we are already on the verge of forgetting that tragedy. He noted that through the valiant and heroic struggle of the Kurdish Peshmerga and the sacrifice of thousands of martyrs in the fight against ISIS terrorist groups, we were able to defend Kurdistan.
Continuing his remarks, this senior Kurdish diplomat added: “While expressing gratitude to the international coalition forces that cooperated with us in this regard, it was the brave and heroic Kurdish Peshmerga who on the ground and in the heat of battle fought tirelessly, endured great suffering, sustained injuries, sacrificed their lives, and defended our homeland.”
He also said: “Today, here, we tell the brave Peshmerga of Kurdistan who fought against ISIS terrorists that their blood has not been shed in vain, and their suffering and efforts have not been for nothing. It is truly vital that we convey our significant historical stories and narratives to the nations of the world through films and cinematic works.”
Regarding the film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman”, the President of the Kurdistan Region stated: “Regarding this film, which I watched today, I would first like to express my special appreciation and gratitude to its director, Mr. Halkawt Mustafa; he has truly created an extraordinary work that deserves praise and acclaim.”
President Nechirvan Barzani added: “I also extend my congratulations to Ms. Avan Jamal, the lead actress of this film. Through her brilliant performance, she reminded us not only of the struggles of the Peshmerga but also of the courage of the Kurdish women fighters in the city of Kobani in Rojava and other parts of Kurdistan who sacrificed their lives to defend this land. She has truly accomplished something remarkable with her acting in this film, vividly portraying the struggle of Kurdish women against the terrorist group ISIS; her performance is truly worthy of our gratitude and appreciation.”
Continuing his remarks, the Commander-in-Chief of the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces said: “I also extend my thanks to the Minister and the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government, as well as the ‘Zerevani’ military forces, for their cooperation with the production team of the film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman”.
In another part of the event, President Barzani stated: “I also wish to express my appreciation to the Iraqi military forces who assisted the film crew during the shooting in Mosul; without their cooperation, this film would not have been made. I thank all the Iraqi defense forces that contributed to the production of this film. We also extend our gratitude to the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Art for selecting this film for the 2027 Oscars and submitting it to the Academy Awards.”
Referring to the co-production of the feature film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman”, the President of the Kurdistan Region stated: “We also wish to express our sincere gratitude to Norway, where parts of the film were shot and which provided both funding and support for its production; the The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality also provided essential assistance, and they, too, deserve our appreciation.”
At the conclusion of the special screening of the feature film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman” at the Empire Cinema complex in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, President Nechirvan Barzani expressed his appreciation to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Culture and Youth and relevant institutions and bodies, as well as to the private sector in Kurdistan for its participation in the film’s production.
“No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman” world premiere in the Venice Open
The film “No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman” had its world premiere in the Venice Open – Out of Competition section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world, held from September 2 to 12, 2026, on Lido Island in Venice, Italy.
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