Resistance Is Life (2017) - full transcript
From a refugee camp on the Turkish-Syrian border, an 8-year-old girl, EVLIN, characterizes the resistance of her homeland. Her heroes, the Kurdish female fighters, are defending the city of Kobane against the onslaught by ISIS militants. The power of the human spirit emanates through Evlin as she shows us that hope and resilience prevail even in the most tragic of circumstances. Evlin takes us on a journey that introduces the many different faces of the resistance on both sides of the border and provides a unique look at the extraordinary spirit behind the first major victory against ISIS.
[background chatter]
MUNICIPALITY OF SURUCÇ
ARIN MIRXAN TENT CITY
Do you want me to talk to you?
My name is Evlin
and I'm from Kobane.
We are here
because ISIS bombed us.
ISIS came to slaughter us
and we fled.
The children were little
so they couldn't run away fast.
We escaped slowly
and reached the border.
Then the gates opened
and we crossed into Turkey.
Thank you.
[melancholic music]
[baby crying]
[TV] ISIS has launched
massive attacks
-on the city of Kobane.
-[loud explosion]
ISIL is
a terrorist organization.
Pure and simple.
It has no vision
other than the slaughter
of all who stand in its way.
[English reporter]
Outgunned and outnumbered,
Kurdish men and women of Kobane
are resisting against ISIS.
They are calling for support
in the fight
against the Islamic State.
[gunshots]
[in English] They are not enemy
against only us,
they are enemy against humanity.
-They are against history.
-[gunshots]
[reporter] Kobane is located
just a stone's throw away
from the border with Turkey.
[English reporter 2]
Islamic State fighters
are taking their battle into...
[English reporter 3] The U.S.
has been pressing Turkey
to take a more active role...
[Erdogan] Problems cannot
be solved with airstrikes.
Several months have passed
with no results.
As of now, Ayn al-Arab,
also known as Kobane,
is about to fall. It's falling.
[distant explosion]
Until ISIS
is defeated from here,
we are going to resist
together everywhere.
[crowd chanting]
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[chanting continues]
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[haunting vocal music]
[background chatter]
[woman] Where are you coming
from Evlin?
[Evlin] City center.
I have two brothers.
Hemude and Mustafa.
Hemude is six years old.
And Mustafa is five months old.
[giggling]
My parents and I...
we are in this camp.
Trying to survive here.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
[kids chant in unison]
[applause]
[Evlin]
We are learning in Kurdish.
We are going to learn
the alphabet from A to Z.
[excited shouts]
Our school is nice.
On our break
we play with our teacher.
We find solace in playing.
[all shout and laugh]
I'm learning
how to read and write now.
It's my goal to educate myself.
Without education,
you have nothing.
[shouting and laughing]
[Evlin indistinct]
After school
I help out my mother.
My mother cares for me,
and I care for her, too.
Everyone should care
for their mother.
It is working!
[background chatter]
My name is Newroz
and I'm Evlin's mother.
We are from Sheran Village.
They informed us that ISIS
was a village away from us
in Tilejbe.
They announced from the mosque
that women and children
should flee
the village immediately.
It is better
that we save our honor
before something happens.
We must flee before they arrive.
And the men who wanted to fight
stayed in the village.
I called my brother and asked
if they were fleeing to Turkey,
and whether
I could go with them.
He said yes
and asked where my husband was.
I said Aladdin was not at home.
I was at the fight
in the beginning
in Tell Abyad in Northern Syria.
During the heavy combat
we didn't break.
ISIS couldn't break us,
and they never will.
But the part that broke me
personally was my children.
As a father of these children,
I broke apart.
One part of me was with them,
and the other was in the battle.
[repeated firing]
[in English]
Daesh is in this village,
about a kilometer
away from here.
It's down this road.
I can show you.
I'm scared enough
that I can protect myself.
But I'm not so scared of them,
that I'd hide from them,
run away from them.
I will face them wherever I can.
We have many comrades here
who joined YPG
who are not Kurdish originally.
I have met three comrades
from Germany.
They were born
and grew up in Germany.
But they saw what happened
to the Kurdish people
and they came here.
And I've seen
a lot of American citizens.
A few British citizens,
Canadians,
and Australians.
They come because...
the pain is so massive.
The scale of the brutality
is so big.
So many people
are trying to defend this right.
I told my comrade,
a guerilla commander,
that I wanted to go see
my children that night.
He said, "Sure, you can go."
I started the engine
of my pickup truck,
which was loaded
with ammunition.
I arrived at my village
and my family was not there.
They told me that my family
went to the city of Kobane.
Kobane was liberated
from Syria's Ba'athist Regime
on July 19th, 2012.
We have established
a democratic self-rule.
It was peaceful here.
Everyone wanted to live
in Kobane.
There were Armenians, Turks,
Arabs and Kurds.
There was a brotherhood
and a unity here.
After one year
of democratic self-rule,
some dark
and chauvinistic powers
attacked Kobane.
They launched attacks on Kobane
on July 20th, 2013.
-[engines roaring]
-[gunshots]
[people yelling]
[explosion]
After the fall of Mosul, Raqqa
and other major military bases
in Syria...
ISIS started attacking Kobane
from all three sides.
[repeated firing]
With hundreds of tanks
and Humvees
that they stole from Mosul,
and with thousands of fighters,
they attacked Kobane.
[men shouting]
So we had to pull the civilians
out of Kobane
to prevent a genocide.
As ISIS got closer,
most of the people fled
to Northern Kurdistan.
When I went to Kobane...
I didn't see my children again.
Once again,
I returned to my village.
I said goodbye
to my parents and I left.
I met with my brother
and my parents
and we went to the border.
Before crossing the border,
my son Hemude got lost.
I was very worried crossing
the border without my son.
It was very crowded
and devastating.
Babies in cribs were crying.
Elderly people
were holding hands.
Elderly people
were carried on shoulders.
When I saw all this,
I broke down and cried.
You didn't say, we made it.
[background chatter]
Emine, come here.
We should attach it together.
Wait! Let me do it.
[kids sing]
It doesn't count.
It hit Emine's hand.
Be quiet.
I'll kick you out if you don't.
[TV] There are no words
that can explain
the war in Kobane.
It's a very inhuman
and cruel war.
It's a dirty war
on the people of Kobane.
Despite the heavy attacks
by ISIS,
the people of Kobane
continue to resist.
[Newroz] When I was in Kobane
my niece came up to me
and said Aladdin was killed.
Then I looked my mother-in-law
in the eye,
and she asked me
if I had heard anything.
We were both hiding
the truth from each other.
She insisted
that I had heard something.
I said I had and asked,
"Is it true
that Aladdin is killed?"
She said,
"Daughter, I heard it too,
but I couldn't tell you."
I began to cry...
I looked at my little boy,
and said...
"I don't know
if your dad is dead or alive."
I was already heartbroken
when I set foot in Turkey.
I just wanted to see him,
dead or alive.
Was it recording?
[giggles]
The first crossings started
on September 19th.
I was there at Ohan Village
on the Turkish side.
We were there in solidarity
and ISIS had just gotten closer.
Everyday
four to five thousand people
were literally jumping
over the fence to this side.
[cacophony of voices]
They left their cars
and animals behind,
because Turkish soldiers
didn't allow them.
They were forced to abandon
all their belongings.
They only brought their children
and some clothes.
I was not scared
on the border at all.
Why should I be?
[shouting]
Syrians are not allowed
to cross.
Some of them
have relatives in Turkey.
And they want to cross.
This is causing great tension.
And now Turkish forces
are firing
tear gas at Syrian people.
[Evlin]
When we stepped into Turkey
we regretted it.
My mother
said she can't bear it here.
My mom said we should return.
After crossing
to the Turkish side,
I told my family
that I wanted to go back.
My brother got upset
and asked me why.
He said, "We are all here,
including your children.
Why do you want to go back?"
You said...
You said it was
because of your husband.
Come on.
You are not telling it all.
[children shout and laugh]
[camera clicks]
-[camera clicks]
-[Evlin] Like a journalist.
I take pictures of my friends
and my teachers.
I take pictures
of interesting things.
The pain is heavy.
I take pictures
of the pain around me.
[boy]
Evlin, take a picture of me!
[camera clicks]
Evlin!
[camera clicks]
[camera clicks]
[Evlin giggles]
[Aladdin]
We are in the 21st century.
And you might think
that no one is enslaved.
Even animals...
have a freedom and life.
But in this day and age,
we are in a tent.
Both the people
of Kobane and Sinjar.
I say enough to blood suckers.
They should look
at these children.
What have they done
to deserve this?
[Newroz] The first week
was very hard for me.
I was always crying.
I was wondering
how my children would survive.
It's winter and it's very cold.
How can my children
survive in tents?
I said, "We can't live here."
But people here
came and helped us.
The people of Suruç
opened their arms
to the people of Kobane,
both to children
and the elderly.
People are really nice here.
They are taking care of us
very well.
At the wedding hall
people are helpful.
[in English] Oops, sorry.
[Evlin] Volunteers will come
and bring us food and drinks.
We are fed.
We are thankful to those people.
[in Italian] Olives!
We are two groups of Italians
that met in Kurdistan.
We are here for two reasons:
The first
is to gather information
on what's really happening
in Kurdistan,
aside from what mainstream
mass media tells us in Italy.
The second important reason
is to create
a political connection
with the Kurds.
We really believe
in this experiment
in radical democracy
that begins with the people.
We believe in this democracy,
and we are here in Kurdistan
to show our solidarity.
When people of Kobane crossed
to this side,
most of the help came
from municipalities of DBP,
which governs the municipalities
of Kurdistan.
Volunteers, people of conscience
who felt affected
by the situation in Kobane,
and people that are
against ISIS, helped us.
[speaking in Kurdish]
[Zuhal] The advantage
of Kobane and Suruç
is that we speak
the same Kurdish language.
We are the same people. There is
no difference between us.
This is also their homeland.
[narrator] The Kurdish people
are the largest ethnic group
in the world without a state.
An estimated
40 million Kurdish people
live in the world today.
Kurds are not considered Arabs, Turks, nor Persians
and have their own language
and culture.
They were ruled
under the Ottoman
and Persian Empires.
After World War I with the collapse of the empires
and the birth of nation-states,
the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres
guaranteed the Kurds
their own country.
It was signed
but never ratified.
The emerging Turkish state
under the leadership
of Kemal Atatuürk
was opposed to Kurdish autonomy,
and the colonial powers agreed
to divide Kurdistan
among the new, emerging states.
In 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne
was enacted and established
the modern borders
of today's Middle East,
which did not include
a Kurdish state.
The Kurdish homeland was divided
with parts ruled
by Turkey and Iran,
as well as
the French Mandate for Syria
and the British Administration
of Iraq.
Both sides are Kurdistan.
But colonial powers
and capitalists
separated us with a fence
for their own profits.
It's painful
to live by these rules.
It strips the freedom
from our hands.
It's broken here
and we are trying to fix it.
We face something new here
every day.
We wake up
with the sound of explosions.
People get numb
to the sound of explosions.
People broke through the fences
at the border to come here.
But now they live
in a fenced area.
This dirty war made people...
I can't continue.
[indistinct chatter]
[Evlin indistinct]
♪ Spring was beautiful
They turned it into hell ♪
♪ Killed the flowers
And the roses of my life ♪
♪ Oh mother, I'm all alone
♪ I shed lots of tears
For my life ♪
♪ I shed lots of tears
For my life... ♪
[background chatter]
[Evlin] Suruç is a city.
It's nice.
It is not like the camps.
Camps are not nice.
AMARA CULTURAL CENTER
But our homeland
is better than here.
It is good for us.
We lived in our home,
not in a tent.
When you come here,
even if it's not nice,
we say that it is.
[Silava] This is my drawing
showing ISIS beheading someone.
My name is Silava
and we came from Kobane.
We are in fifth grade.
[Diyala] My name is Diyala.
And my drawing
is dedicated to Kobane's soil.
We don't want ISIS
in our homeland.
But they entered
our homeland with force.
[Evlin] I haven't given up
on my homeland.
But some have.
And they are leaving
for Germany.
They get on a boat.
They ask each other
who knows how to operate it.
One says, "Me."
Then people go in the water.
Little children drown
and they die.
We want to go back
to our homeland.
[thunder]
[thunder]
[background chatter]
[TV] ISIS is in Kobane
and we have control
of 80% of the city...
Here, grab him dad.
I will go get the dinner.
-[Aladdin] Dinner?
-Yes, I heard food arrived.
Grab him.
[Aladdin]
No, it hasn't arrived yet.
[Newroz]
It's not the dinner, Evlin.
[TV] The resistance
of Kobane has changed
not only Kurdish lives,
but also the entire Middle East.
Colonial powers
and beneficiaries of this war
had different plans.
They want to take over Kobane
and all the other cantons
of Northern Syria.
But the resistance of Kobane
is a game-changer.
[Evlin]
♪ Motherland is Kurdistan
♪ Sweet in our hearts
♪ Mother, don't shed tears
♪ If I'm killed...
Is smoke always rising
from Kobane?
Can you see it?
We are here.
I can see it, Hemude.
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[Verhan] ISIS is attacking Kurds
in order to disperse them.
They underestimated how united
the Kurds are.
They thought they could break
Kobane in one day.
Even if only one Kurd remains,
we will fight for Kobane.
[Evlin] We stand
for solidarity on the border.
We love our comrades
and we shout.
The people here also stood
with us for Kobane.
[Selahattin] Willpower
from all over the world
has become one.
And until ISIS
is defeated from here,
until peace is sown
among the diversity here,
we are going to resist
together everywhere.
No one should think
that Kobane is alone.
[all cheer and chant]
[explosion]
[roar of planes]
[explosion]
[Obama]
Tonight I want you to know
that the United States
of America
is meeting them with strength
and resolve.
These strikes have also
helped save the lives
of thousands of innocent men,
women and children.
Mistenur Hill is that way.
[explosion]
It doesn't look good.
[women weeping]
Oh, mother, what can I say?
-I will die for our comrades.
-[planes roar]
I will die
-for beautiful Kobane.
-[explosions]
Oh, mother!
Because of the enemy,
we can't even get close
to our Kobane.
Oh, mother!
ISIS is burning
my beautiful homeland
in front of my eyes.
Oh mother!
My beautiful homeland is gone.
The whole world should know
that my homeland is pleasant.
[woman continues wailing]
[repeated firing and explosions]
[firing intensifies]
[kids chatting]
[gunshots]
My name is Menal.
I am the bride of Kobane.
We didn't want to leave
and let the enemy take our city.
We stayed here
and didn't allow that.
Despite the heavy war
and clashes,
I stood with my little children.
No matter what,
we haven't given up.
I stayed on the front lines
for 17 days,
with my children
and the comrades.
And I helped them
as much I could.
[laughing]
We can be cold,
we can be hungry...
we can face anything,
but we won't leave Kobane
in the enemy's hands.
Suleiman! Come back home.
ISIS has been bombing us.
The have been firing bullets
at us.
One rocket fell over there
but it didn't explode.
[boy 3] Another one hit a bus
and broke its window,
but it didn't explode either.
There is a mortar here, too.
[firing]
Please follow me Uncle,
I will show it to you.
It fell over there
and didn't explode.
Look, it's here.
It hasn't exploded yet.
[planes roar]
[sporadic firing]
[Evlin] Remember how we played
at home in Kobane?
Me, you and Sidra.
I wish we never left,
but had stayed in our village
and played.
[explosion]
It sounded like a mortar.
[festive music]
MUNICIPALITY OF SURUCÇ
ARIN MIRXAN TENT CITY
[children laugh]
[laughter]
[Ilker]
One of the reasons I'm here
is to show children
the existence of other worlds,
with an art that doesn't require
a language.
Here, there is a war on one side
and life on the other.
I am trying to show that side.
I'm not trying to make them
forget the war.
That's something else entirely,
and perhaps that's not my job.
But I am trying to show a world
with playgrounds,
balloons and seesaws
for the children.
Despite everything, their smiles
are the strongest weapon
against the war.
In meetings, agreements,
and the news,
the world has failed Kobane.
But we believe
it's not going to fall.
Because if Kobane falls,
then so will life.
We are going to win this war
with smiling children.
And we will continue
our activities in our backyards.
In the streets of Kobane.
[children singing]
[laughter]
[TV] With heavy artillery guns,
Kurdish Peshmerga forces
from Iraq
have crossed into Kobane from Suruç to help YPG fighters.
The Peshmerga commander
gave thanks
for the support
they received on the road.
[English reporter 4] Peshmerga,
or "those who confront death"
seen here crossing the border
from Northern Iraq to Turkey
in the early hours
of Wednesday morning.
[Aladdin]
Evlin, come help your father.
I'm going to cook eggs,
my daughter.
It may be little
but count it as a feast.
We are in a small tent,
but our hearts are big.
[melancholic music]
[radio] On the 76th day
of the resistance in Kobane
ISIS attacked Kobane
from all four sides.
One of the attacks
came from the border gate.
They attacked
with a suicide tank.
It happened in the past, too.
But this time, ISIS entered from Turkish soil.
My name is Arin and I'm
a public security officer.
We are here to check vehicles
because ISIS has set up
many booby traps.
We do not allow civilians
to pass through
until the traps are cleared.
We watch out
for suicide cars, too.
I'm 18 years old.
My family is in Turkey.
I was here with my father.
When the suicide tank
exploded at the border gate,
my father was killed.
[distant explosions and firing]
I came from Kobane 22 days ago.
The war and the battle
still continues.
As you and the rest
of the world must know,
many say that they
are against ISIS today,
yet ISIS still gets support
from the Turkish border.
A suicide tank crossed
the Turkish border into Kobane
and it exploded
in a civilian area.
How can this happen?
I am calling
for international attention.
[voice breaks] I'm calling...
[woman begins singing]
♪ Ankara, the capital of Turkey Is aware of everything ♪
♪ The Turkish government
Is not innocent ♪
♪ They are part of the massacre Taking place in Kurdistan ♪
♪ Kurdish lives are burning...
[men shouting]
[narrator]
Now at least 20 people
have been killed
in street riots across Turkey
as Kurds protesting
over the Islamic State's
advance in Syria
clash with police.
Kurdish anger has spread
beyond Turkey, though,
to many European nations, too.
[in English] Who's selling
our women as sex slaves?
[all] ISIS!
[girl] Who's killing children?
[all] ISIS!
-Who's the terrorist?
-[all] ISIS!
Evlin, what are you drawing?
A bride.
Her name is Kobane.
We caught an ISIS militant
on Ramadan.
We were taking him with us
in the car.
We took him
to the public security office.
A guerrilla comrade
named Midya was there.
When she walked in,
the ISIS militant shut his eyes.
He looked away
and asked us to take her out.
He said, "As a Muslim man,
I can't look at women."
Comrade Midya smiled
and said she would leave.
Then suddenly he turned around
and looked at comrade Midya.
The ISIS militant told Midya,
"You are one
of the virgins from heaven.
I am dead and the Kurds
didn't capture me."
He asked, "Where are
the other 39 virgins?"
Midya smiled and told him,
"They are under my command.
They will come in soon
and you will see them."
This just shows the mentality
of ISIS militants.
In this era...
they have such narrow minds.
[Evlin sings wordlessly]
♪ Kobane is united
Hand in hand ♪
♪ They fight day and night
♪ YPJ raised its flag
And began to resist... ♪
[Hevjin] I've been in Kobane
for ten months now.
Being here is very special,
especially for the YPJ fighters.
When you look at the battle,
there are lots
of female leaders.
Their resistance
is a big inspiration for us.
It also inspires male fighters.
Leadership begins with women.
Their strength, resistance,
and morale
makes us feel much stronger.
[Evlin] Our comrades at war
are pushing ISIS out,
for us to return home.
Long live the resistance
of YPG and YPJ.
[women chanting] Long live the resistance of YPJ!
Long live the resistance of YPJ!
Long live the resistance of YPJ!
[chanting continues]
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[Ayse]
The fight for Syria's freedom,
the fight
for Western Kurdistan's freedom,
is the fight
for women's freedom.
Thousands of women
have been raped,
thousands of women
have been slaughtered,
and thousands of women
have been kidnapped.
And no one stood
for the women of Syria.
That's why the revolution
in Western Kurdistan
is led by women.
Even today,
in many Western countries,
what some women don't realize
is that freedom is not only
about one's look.
It's not about physical beauty.
But YPJ does not think this way.
YPJ started
with the concept that freedom
is something
that begins in the mind.
A woman's true beauty
is found in her mind.
It's in her intellect.
It's in her perspective.
[coughing]
I'm not crying, it's the smoke.
Don't we have gas here?
Unlike fighting
in the mountains,
our comrades didn't have
any experience in urban warfare.
But we have gained
a lot of experience now.
Long before I joined
the movement, I accepted death.
Our commitment to our leader
and to our fallen comrades
gives us the strength
to fear nothing.
I save this final bullet
in case the enemy captures me.
It's better
that I end my own life.
Even 40-50 year old
Kurdish women
picked up a weapon
and fought against ISIS.
They stood
with the YPG and YPJ fighters
on the front lines.
They didn't want to leave
their children to fight alone.
The pains of all women
are great,
but those of Kurdish women
are greater,
because they all have
a wound in their heart.
Their wound is their martyrs.
Today every family has
at least two, three
or four members killed.
Despite all this,
Kurdish women
continue to join the resistance.
And when we talk
about women's rights,
we stand and resist
for the women of the world.
-Women, life, freedom!
-[ululating cheers]
Women of Pirsus, Kobane,
Kurdistan and Turkey,
I welcome you all
from the bottom of my heart.
[cheering]
We are on the border of Kobane.
Comrades of YPG and YPJ
can hear our support.
Let's cheer for them.
The National Council of Syria
had a meeting
in Istanbul yesterday.
They have criticized
Moscow's initiative
in inviting members
of the opposition.
They ask that only
the representatives
of the people of Syria
be invited.
May God help us.
-Are you going to school?
-[Evlin] Yes.
-Who is your teacher?
-Teacher Ruken.
-Is she from Kobane?
-Yes.
Aren't you late?
Your friends are going.
No grandpa,
we have a play today.
It's time to go now.
Thank you my daughter.
Goodbye, dad.
I'm going to the fight.
-Mother, I'm going to the fight.
-No my darling, you can't go.
You can't go, sister.
You are still young.
I want to go shed
my blood for Kobane.
Look, your sister
has been wounded.
Look at her eyes.
You can't fight.
-Mother, I am going.
-No, my daughter.
Sister, you shouldn't go.
-[indistinct speech]
-[melancholic music]
[music swells]
[girl]
Hello mom, my sister is killed.
How do you know?
[girl] I'm next to her now.
Cover her face.
Martyrs never die.
[all] Martyrs never die.
-[siren]
-Martyrs never die!
[all chanting]
Martyrs never die!
[Evlin] YPG and YPJ love us.
They die for us.
ISIS kills and slaughters them.
ISIS should be punished.
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
[man] Please keep clear
of the emergency entrance.
-Move to the other side!
-[confused shouts]
I will take your camera away!
Don't record!
[kids playing]
I have been wounded three times.
The last time was
in my homeland, in Kobane.
Two of my children
are still in the battle now.
ISIS slaughters
and beheads our friends.
I saw it with my own eyes.
This is not a story.
Comrade Mustafa,
father of five kids, was killed.
He was beheaded.
I witnessed it all.
When we catch the enemy,
because of our traditions,
values and belief
in our movement,
we don't kill or behead anyone.
We try to introduce ourselves.
We are not the enemy
of any person.
And we will never show enmity
towards others.
They are saying that I'm old
and should rest,
but I don't agree.
Comrades ask me
why I keep returning.
I told them I want to fight.
I told them
I want to defend my homeland.
I told them
I will fight even with one hand.
I want to stand
next to my comrades.
The young men and women
on the front lines
are like my children.
Until the last drop of blood,
I will fight for my homeland.
[woman]
♪ Fire on the waterfront
♪ Like the eternal flames
In my heart ♪
♪ Everyone wants
A piece from our homeland ♪
♪ She is the mother
Of civilization... ♪
[explosions and firing]
[Azad] The Kurds are ready
to pick up a rifle
and defend their lands.
But for the international
community, it's up to them.
For all these European countries
and the whole world...
it's up to them what they
will do with these people,
because these people
are trying to take us
back to the Dark Ages.
We've been pushing forward
a lot.
[firing]
[man] Someone go on the roof!
[distant firing]
[in Kurdish] Our interview
is not finished yet.
A motorcycle is approaching.
Let me keep watch for it.
[thunder]
We will liberate
all of Western Kurdistan
so people won't suffer
any more in the camps.
They can return to their homes
and their homeland
and live better days ahead.
[TV] 75% of Kobane
is under the control
of YPG
and Peshmerga Kurdish forces.
[Aladdin] Present arms!
Order arms!
Present arms!
Order arms!
[laughter]
We should remember
the comrades of YPG, YPJ,
and the Peshmergas.
Today in Sinjar,
and in Kobane...
they are resisting
against the bullets
of the ISIS thugs.
And no one should think
of sitting on a throne.
Thrones are built
by the blood of its martyrs.
No one owns Kurdistan.
It belongs to those
who worked, sacrificed,
and died for it.
[chanting and cheering]
Now we are walking
to the Kaniya Kurda Hill,
which has been liberated
by YPG and YPJ fighters.
YPG and YPJ fighters
are about to plant
their flag on the hill.
This is a very important moment
because it means that Kobane
is completely liberated.
[sporadic firing]
[festive music]
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ Women, Life, Freedom!
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ The heart of Kurdistan
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ A prime example
Of resistance ♪
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ The spirit of life
[crowd] Kobane!
[music continues]
I want to fly, too.
[Kurdish rock music]
[Evlin] Kobane is liberated.
Everyone is celebrating.
And everyone is happy.
I'm very happy, too.
♪ Uprising! Resistance!
♪ Uprising is life
Resistance is life ♪
♪ Uprising! Resistance!
♪ Uprising is life
Resistance is life ♪
♪ Uprising is life
Resistance is life... ♪
[man] We are going to say enough
to oppression and repression.
Let's sing together!
-To the heavy wounds!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To mass murder and barbarism!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To oppression!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To racism!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To tanks and guns!
-[crowd] Enough!
All together again!
[cheering]
♪ Enough is enough
♪ Stand up for your rights
♪ Enough is enough...
[Evlin] When we go back home
I will walk back barefoot.
I won't wear shoes.
I will leave them behind.
We won't take anything back
with us.
No socks, no shoes.
Just like that.
We prefer to go back home.
I love my homeland.
How could we survive
without a homeland?
It was very dirty in here,
but comrades cleaned it.
They were eating
and drinking here.
[woman] ISIS fighters?
[woman 2]
No. YPG fighters were here.
[woman]
So ISIS didn't make it here?
[Enwer] No, they couldn't.
We have been at war
with ISIS for over a year now.
I did not leave the Canton.
I didn't fight,
but I stood next to my comrades.
I congratulate
their resistance and victory.
And we honor the fallen ones.
They left us bright days ahead.
Men and women of Kobane
fought until the end.
A major part of the resistance
in Kobane was led by women.
In Kobane,
they stood against tanks,
and against ISIS,
the greatest savages.
Young women fought to prevent
even a single braid
falling into the hands of ISIS.
For example, Arin Mirxan
sacrificed herself
to prevent ISIS from taking
over Mistenur Hill,
just like many other fighters
and commanders of the YPJ.
It may hurt some male fighters
to hear this...
but believe me, 70 to 80 percent
of our victory was led by women.
Resistance of women.
There was a big battle
when I came to Kobane.
Especially in the city.
We were not as technically
advanced as the enemy,
but our spirit
and energy were greater.
We honored the fallen
and we moved forward.
Our confidence
kept getting stronger
and now we are liberating
the villages.
The enemy saw
that the only option
they had left was to retreat.
We all know that ISIS has lost.
As they retreat
they might try to attack
other towns around Kobane.
We will face them anywhere
as the fighters
of the YPG and YPJ.
Long live the resistance
of YPG and YPJ!
[chuckling]
[kids chatting]
People are leaving for Kobane.
The tents are ruined.
And children are happy
because they created
a playground from the leftovers
of the tents.
[laughter]
I have less friends now.
I love the ones
who were here before.
I miss them.
Now their tents are empty,
they all left for Kobane.
And I'm left with few friends.
PEACE SQUARE
♪ Kobane is full
Of sorrow today ♪
♪ Her body burns and bleeds
♪ She sheds tears like the rain Oh, Kobane ♪
♪ She sheds tears like the rain Oh, Kobane ♪
WELCOME TO KOBANE
[indistinct chatter]
Long live the resistance
of Kobane.
[children crying]
We are grateful to see this day.
We have returned
to our bereaved Kobane.
We have shed
a lot of tears and blood
but we are finally home.
We will rebuild it
better than before.
Those ISIS savages thought
they could just massacre us.
Our children
are brave like lions.
We got rid of them here
and the rest
of the world should, too.
Thanks to our comrades,
the victory is ours.
I did not leave Kobane.
The battle started
on September 14th,
and since that time,
I've been here.
Following the liberation
of Kobane,
families have been returning
day by day.
And we want
all of them to return.
The love for Kobane is rooted
in our children
and in our families.
If Kobane was not liberated,
then children
and families wouldn't be free.
They are all connected
to one another.
[ululating cheer]
[Enwer]
After all it was a big battle...
A historical battle.
Whoever is hurt
by the sufferings
of the men, women
and children of Kobane,
should stand with us
and help Kobane
for the sake of humanity.
They should help spread
the voice of Kobane
to all the organizations
and governments
around the world.
Kobane sacrificed for the world
in the fight against terrorism.
Due to our sacrifices,
we are facing a catastrophe now.
We need logistical, medical,
infrastructural
and educational help.
Eighty percent of the city
is completely destroyed.
Eighty percent of the villages
are vandalized.
I am hoping people will help
and embrace Kobane.
It's the symbol of resistance
against global terror.
We need your help.
That's all I can say.
[background chatter]
I went to the school.
They gave me my report card.
The school is finished.
I'm at home now.
EXCELLENT [ALL GRADES]
[giggles]
Hopefully we can return home
in two or three months.
[laughs] Wow!
Kobane is that way.
[melancholic music]
[haunting vocal music]
MUNICIPALITY OF SURUCÇ
ARIN MIRXAN TENT CITY
Do you want me to talk to you?
My name is Evlin
and I'm from Kobane.
We are here
because ISIS bombed us.
ISIS came to slaughter us
and we fled.
The children were little
so they couldn't run away fast.
We escaped slowly
and reached the border.
Then the gates opened
and we crossed into Turkey.
Thank you.
[melancholic music]
[baby crying]
[TV] ISIS has launched
massive attacks
-on the city of Kobane.
-[loud explosion]
ISIL is
a terrorist organization.
Pure and simple.
It has no vision
other than the slaughter
of all who stand in its way.
[English reporter]
Outgunned and outnumbered,
Kurdish men and women of Kobane
are resisting against ISIS.
They are calling for support
in the fight
against the Islamic State.
[gunshots]
[in English] They are not enemy
against only us,
they are enemy against humanity.
-They are against history.
-[gunshots]
[reporter] Kobane is located
just a stone's throw away
from the border with Turkey.
[English reporter 2]
Islamic State fighters
are taking their battle into...
[English reporter 3] The U.S.
has been pressing Turkey
to take a more active role...
[Erdogan] Problems cannot
be solved with airstrikes.
Several months have passed
with no results.
As of now, Ayn al-Arab,
also known as Kobane,
is about to fall. It's falling.
[distant explosion]
Until ISIS
is defeated from here,
we are going to resist
together everywhere.
[crowd chanting]
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[chanting continues]
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[haunting vocal music]
[background chatter]
[woman] Where are you coming
from Evlin?
[Evlin] City center.
I have two brothers.
Hemude and Mustafa.
Hemude is six years old.
And Mustafa is five months old.
[giggling]
My parents and I...
we are in this camp.
Trying to survive here.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
[kids chant in unison]
[applause]
[Evlin]
We are learning in Kurdish.
We are going to learn
the alphabet from A to Z.
[excited shouts]
Our school is nice.
On our break
we play with our teacher.
We find solace in playing.
[all shout and laugh]
I'm learning
how to read and write now.
It's my goal to educate myself.
Without education,
you have nothing.
[shouting and laughing]
[Evlin indistinct]
After school
I help out my mother.
My mother cares for me,
and I care for her, too.
Everyone should care
for their mother.
It is working!
[background chatter]
My name is Newroz
and I'm Evlin's mother.
We are from Sheran Village.
They informed us that ISIS
was a village away from us
in Tilejbe.
They announced from the mosque
that women and children
should flee
the village immediately.
It is better
that we save our honor
before something happens.
We must flee before they arrive.
And the men who wanted to fight
stayed in the village.
I called my brother and asked
if they were fleeing to Turkey,
and whether
I could go with them.
He said yes
and asked where my husband was.
I said Aladdin was not at home.
I was at the fight
in the beginning
in Tell Abyad in Northern Syria.
During the heavy combat
we didn't break.
ISIS couldn't break us,
and they never will.
But the part that broke me
personally was my children.
As a father of these children,
I broke apart.
One part of me was with them,
and the other was in the battle.
[repeated firing]
[in English]
Daesh is in this village,
about a kilometer
away from here.
It's down this road.
I can show you.
I'm scared enough
that I can protect myself.
But I'm not so scared of them,
that I'd hide from them,
run away from them.
I will face them wherever I can.
We have many comrades here
who joined YPG
who are not Kurdish originally.
I have met three comrades
from Germany.
They were born
and grew up in Germany.
But they saw what happened
to the Kurdish people
and they came here.
And I've seen
a lot of American citizens.
A few British citizens,
Canadians,
and Australians.
They come because...
the pain is so massive.
The scale of the brutality
is so big.
So many people
are trying to defend this right.
I told my comrade,
a guerilla commander,
that I wanted to go see
my children that night.
He said, "Sure, you can go."
I started the engine
of my pickup truck,
which was loaded
with ammunition.
I arrived at my village
and my family was not there.
They told me that my family
went to the city of Kobane.
Kobane was liberated
from Syria's Ba'athist Regime
on July 19th, 2012.
We have established
a democratic self-rule.
It was peaceful here.
Everyone wanted to live
in Kobane.
There were Armenians, Turks,
Arabs and Kurds.
There was a brotherhood
and a unity here.
After one year
of democratic self-rule,
some dark
and chauvinistic powers
attacked Kobane.
They launched attacks on Kobane
on July 20th, 2013.
-[engines roaring]
-[gunshots]
[people yelling]
[explosion]
After the fall of Mosul, Raqqa
and other major military bases
in Syria...
ISIS started attacking Kobane
from all three sides.
[repeated firing]
With hundreds of tanks
and Humvees
that they stole from Mosul,
and with thousands of fighters,
they attacked Kobane.
[men shouting]
So we had to pull the civilians
out of Kobane
to prevent a genocide.
As ISIS got closer,
most of the people fled
to Northern Kurdistan.
When I went to Kobane...
I didn't see my children again.
Once again,
I returned to my village.
I said goodbye
to my parents and I left.
I met with my brother
and my parents
and we went to the border.
Before crossing the border,
my son Hemude got lost.
I was very worried crossing
the border without my son.
It was very crowded
and devastating.
Babies in cribs were crying.
Elderly people
were holding hands.
Elderly people
were carried on shoulders.
When I saw all this,
I broke down and cried.
You didn't say, we made it.
[background chatter]
Emine, come here.
We should attach it together.
Wait! Let me do it.
[kids sing]
It doesn't count.
It hit Emine's hand.
Be quiet.
I'll kick you out if you don't.
[TV] There are no words
that can explain
the war in Kobane.
It's a very inhuman
and cruel war.
It's a dirty war
on the people of Kobane.
Despite the heavy attacks
by ISIS,
the people of Kobane
continue to resist.
[Newroz] When I was in Kobane
my niece came up to me
and said Aladdin was killed.
Then I looked my mother-in-law
in the eye,
and she asked me
if I had heard anything.
We were both hiding
the truth from each other.
She insisted
that I had heard something.
I said I had and asked,
"Is it true
that Aladdin is killed?"
She said,
"Daughter, I heard it too,
but I couldn't tell you."
I began to cry...
I looked at my little boy,
and said...
"I don't know
if your dad is dead or alive."
I was already heartbroken
when I set foot in Turkey.
I just wanted to see him,
dead or alive.
Was it recording?
[giggles]
The first crossings started
on September 19th.
I was there at Ohan Village
on the Turkish side.
We were there in solidarity
and ISIS had just gotten closer.
Everyday
four to five thousand people
were literally jumping
over the fence to this side.
[cacophony of voices]
They left their cars
and animals behind,
because Turkish soldiers
didn't allow them.
They were forced to abandon
all their belongings.
They only brought their children
and some clothes.
I was not scared
on the border at all.
Why should I be?
[shouting]
Syrians are not allowed
to cross.
Some of them
have relatives in Turkey.
And they want to cross.
This is causing great tension.
And now Turkish forces
are firing
tear gas at Syrian people.
[Evlin]
When we stepped into Turkey
we regretted it.
My mother
said she can't bear it here.
My mom said we should return.
After crossing
to the Turkish side,
I told my family
that I wanted to go back.
My brother got upset
and asked me why.
He said, "We are all here,
including your children.
Why do you want to go back?"
You said...
You said it was
because of your husband.
Come on.
You are not telling it all.
[children shout and laugh]
[camera clicks]
-[camera clicks]
-[Evlin] Like a journalist.
I take pictures of my friends
and my teachers.
I take pictures
of interesting things.
The pain is heavy.
I take pictures
of the pain around me.
[boy]
Evlin, take a picture of me!
[camera clicks]
Evlin!
[camera clicks]
[camera clicks]
[Evlin giggles]
[Aladdin]
We are in the 21st century.
And you might think
that no one is enslaved.
Even animals...
have a freedom and life.
But in this day and age,
we are in a tent.
Both the people
of Kobane and Sinjar.
I say enough to blood suckers.
They should look
at these children.
What have they done
to deserve this?
[Newroz] The first week
was very hard for me.
I was always crying.
I was wondering
how my children would survive.
It's winter and it's very cold.
How can my children
survive in tents?
I said, "We can't live here."
But people here
came and helped us.
The people of Suruç
opened their arms
to the people of Kobane,
both to children
and the elderly.
People are really nice here.
They are taking care of us
very well.
At the wedding hall
people are helpful.
[in English] Oops, sorry.
[Evlin] Volunteers will come
and bring us food and drinks.
We are fed.
We are thankful to those people.
[in Italian] Olives!
We are two groups of Italians
that met in Kurdistan.
We are here for two reasons:
The first
is to gather information
on what's really happening
in Kurdistan,
aside from what mainstream
mass media tells us in Italy.
The second important reason
is to create
a political connection
with the Kurds.
We really believe
in this experiment
in radical democracy
that begins with the people.
We believe in this democracy,
and we are here in Kurdistan
to show our solidarity.
When people of Kobane crossed
to this side,
most of the help came
from municipalities of DBP,
which governs the municipalities
of Kurdistan.
Volunteers, people of conscience
who felt affected
by the situation in Kobane,
and people that are
against ISIS, helped us.
[speaking in Kurdish]
[Zuhal] The advantage
of Kobane and Suruç
is that we speak
the same Kurdish language.
We are the same people. There is
no difference between us.
This is also their homeland.
[narrator] The Kurdish people
are the largest ethnic group
in the world without a state.
An estimated
40 million Kurdish people
live in the world today.
Kurds are not considered Arabs, Turks, nor Persians
and have their own language
and culture.
They were ruled
under the Ottoman
and Persian Empires.
After World War I with the collapse of the empires
and the birth of nation-states,
the 1920 Treaty of Sèvres
guaranteed the Kurds
their own country.
It was signed
but never ratified.
The emerging Turkish state
under the leadership
of Kemal Atatuürk
was opposed to Kurdish autonomy,
and the colonial powers agreed
to divide Kurdistan
among the new, emerging states.
In 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne
was enacted and established
the modern borders
of today's Middle East,
which did not include
a Kurdish state.
The Kurdish homeland was divided
with parts ruled
by Turkey and Iran,
as well as
the French Mandate for Syria
and the British Administration
of Iraq.
Both sides are Kurdistan.
But colonial powers
and capitalists
separated us with a fence
for their own profits.
It's painful
to live by these rules.
It strips the freedom
from our hands.
It's broken here
and we are trying to fix it.
We face something new here
every day.
We wake up
with the sound of explosions.
People get numb
to the sound of explosions.
People broke through the fences
at the border to come here.
But now they live
in a fenced area.
This dirty war made people...
I can't continue.
[indistinct chatter]
[Evlin indistinct]
♪ Spring was beautiful
They turned it into hell ♪
♪ Killed the flowers
And the roses of my life ♪
♪ Oh mother, I'm all alone
♪ I shed lots of tears
For my life ♪
♪ I shed lots of tears
For my life... ♪
[background chatter]
[Evlin] Suruç is a city.
It's nice.
It is not like the camps.
Camps are not nice.
AMARA CULTURAL CENTER
But our homeland
is better than here.
It is good for us.
We lived in our home,
not in a tent.
When you come here,
even if it's not nice,
we say that it is.
[Silava] This is my drawing
showing ISIS beheading someone.
My name is Silava
and we came from Kobane.
We are in fifth grade.
[Diyala] My name is Diyala.
And my drawing
is dedicated to Kobane's soil.
We don't want ISIS
in our homeland.
But they entered
our homeland with force.
[Evlin] I haven't given up
on my homeland.
But some have.
And they are leaving
for Germany.
They get on a boat.
They ask each other
who knows how to operate it.
One says, "Me."
Then people go in the water.
Little children drown
and they die.
We want to go back
to our homeland.
[thunder]
[thunder]
[background chatter]
[TV] ISIS is in Kobane
and we have control
of 80% of the city...
Here, grab him dad.
I will go get the dinner.
-[Aladdin] Dinner?
-Yes, I heard food arrived.
Grab him.
[Aladdin]
No, it hasn't arrived yet.
[Newroz]
It's not the dinner, Evlin.
[TV] The resistance
of Kobane has changed
not only Kurdish lives,
but also the entire Middle East.
Colonial powers
and beneficiaries of this war
had different plans.
They want to take over Kobane
and all the other cantons
of Northern Syria.
But the resistance of Kobane
is a game-changer.
[Evlin]
♪ Motherland is Kurdistan
♪ Sweet in our hearts
♪ Mother, don't shed tears
♪ If I'm killed...
Is smoke always rising
from Kobane?
Can you see it?
We are here.
I can see it, Hemude.
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[Verhan] ISIS is attacking Kurds
in order to disperse them.
They underestimated how united
the Kurds are.
They thought they could break
Kobane in one day.
Even if only one Kurd remains,
we will fight for Kobane.
[Evlin] We stand
for solidarity on the border.
We love our comrades
and we shout.
The people here also stood
with us for Kobane.
[Selahattin] Willpower
from all over the world
has become one.
And until ISIS
is defeated from here,
until peace is sown
among the diversity here,
we are going to resist
together everywhere.
No one should think
that Kobane is alone.
[all cheer and chant]
[explosion]
[roar of planes]
[explosion]
[Obama]
Tonight I want you to know
that the United States
of America
is meeting them with strength
and resolve.
These strikes have also
helped save the lives
of thousands of innocent men,
women and children.
Mistenur Hill is that way.
[explosion]
It doesn't look good.
[women weeping]
Oh, mother, what can I say?
-I will die for our comrades.
-[planes roar]
I will die
-for beautiful Kobane.
-[explosions]
Oh, mother!
Because of the enemy,
we can't even get close
to our Kobane.
Oh, mother!
ISIS is burning
my beautiful homeland
in front of my eyes.
Oh mother!
My beautiful homeland is gone.
The whole world should know
that my homeland is pleasant.
[woman continues wailing]
[repeated firing and explosions]
[firing intensifies]
[kids chatting]
[gunshots]
My name is Menal.
I am the bride of Kobane.
We didn't want to leave
and let the enemy take our city.
We stayed here
and didn't allow that.
Despite the heavy war
and clashes,
I stood with my little children.
No matter what,
we haven't given up.
I stayed on the front lines
for 17 days,
with my children
and the comrades.
And I helped them
as much I could.
[laughing]
We can be cold,
we can be hungry...
we can face anything,
but we won't leave Kobane
in the enemy's hands.
Suleiman! Come back home.
ISIS has been bombing us.
The have been firing bullets
at us.
One rocket fell over there
but it didn't explode.
[boy 3] Another one hit a bus
and broke its window,
but it didn't explode either.
There is a mortar here, too.
[firing]
Please follow me Uncle,
I will show it to you.
It fell over there
and didn't explode.
Look, it's here.
It hasn't exploded yet.
[planes roar]
[sporadic firing]
[Evlin] Remember how we played
at home in Kobane?
Me, you and Sidra.
I wish we never left,
but had stayed in our village
and played.
[explosion]
It sounded like a mortar.
[festive music]
MUNICIPALITY OF SURUCÇ
ARIN MIRXAN TENT CITY
[children laugh]
[laughter]
[Ilker]
One of the reasons I'm here
is to show children
the existence of other worlds,
with an art that doesn't require
a language.
Here, there is a war on one side
and life on the other.
I am trying to show that side.
I'm not trying to make them
forget the war.
That's something else entirely,
and perhaps that's not my job.
But I am trying to show a world
with playgrounds,
balloons and seesaws
for the children.
Despite everything, their smiles
are the strongest weapon
against the war.
In meetings, agreements,
and the news,
the world has failed Kobane.
But we believe
it's not going to fall.
Because if Kobane falls,
then so will life.
We are going to win this war
with smiling children.
And we will continue
our activities in our backyards.
In the streets of Kobane.
[children singing]
[laughter]
[TV] With heavy artillery guns,
Kurdish Peshmerga forces
from Iraq
have crossed into Kobane from Suruç to help YPG fighters.
The Peshmerga commander
gave thanks
for the support
they received on the road.
[English reporter 4] Peshmerga,
or "those who confront death"
seen here crossing the border
from Northern Iraq to Turkey
in the early hours
of Wednesday morning.
[Aladdin]
Evlin, come help your father.
I'm going to cook eggs,
my daughter.
It may be little
but count it as a feast.
We are in a small tent,
but our hearts are big.
[melancholic music]
[radio] On the 76th day
of the resistance in Kobane
ISIS attacked Kobane
from all four sides.
One of the attacks
came from the border gate.
They attacked
with a suicide tank.
It happened in the past, too.
But this time, ISIS entered from Turkish soil.
My name is Arin and I'm
a public security officer.
We are here to check vehicles
because ISIS has set up
many booby traps.
We do not allow civilians
to pass through
until the traps are cleared.
We watch out
for suicide cars, too.
I'm 18 years old.
My family is in Turkey.
I was here with my father.
When the suicide tank
exploded at the border gate,
my father was killed.
[distant explosions and firing]
I came from Kobane 22 days ago.
The war and the battle
still continues.
As you and the rest
of the world must know,
many say that they
are against ISIS today,
yet ISIS still gets support
from the Turkish border.
A suicide tank crossed
the Turkish border into Kobane
and it exploded
in a civilian area.
How can this happen?
I am calling
for international attention.
[voice breaks] I'm calling...
[woman begins singing]
♪ Ankara, the capital of Turkey Is aware of everything ♪
♪ The Turkish government
Is not innocent ♪
♪ They are part of the massacre Taking place in Kurdistan ♪
♪ Kurdish lives are burning...
[men shouting]
[narrator]
Now at least 20 people
have been killed
in street riots across Turkey
as Kurds protesting
over the Islamic State's
advance in Syria
clash with police.
Kurdish anger has spread
beyond Turkey, though,
to many European nations, too.
[in English] Who's selling
our women as sex slaves?
[all] ISIS!
[girl] Who's killing children?
[all] ISIS!
-Who's the terrorist?
-[all] ISIS!
Evlin, what are you drawing?
A bride.
Her name is Kobane.
We caught an ISIS militant
on Ramadan.
We were taking him with us
in the car.
We took him
to the public security office.
A guerrilla comrade
named Midya was there.
When she walked in,
the ISIS militant shut his eyes.
He looked away
and asked us to take her out.
He said, "As a Muslim man,
I can't look at women."
Comrade Midya smiled
and said she would leave.
Then suddenly he turned around
and looked at comrade Midya.
The ISIS militant told Midya,
"You are one
of the virgins from heaven.
I am dead and the Kurds
didn't capture me."
He asked, "Where are
the other 39 virgins?"
Midya smiled and told him,
"They are under my command.
They will come in soon
and you will see them."
This just shows the mentality
of ISIS militants.
In this era...
they have such narrow minds.
[Evlin sings wordlessly]
♪ Kobane is united
Hand in hand ♪
♪ They fight day and night
♪ YPJ raised its flag
And began to resist... ♪
[Hevjin] I've been in Kobane
for ten months now.
Being here is very special,
especially for the YPJ fighters.
When you look at the battle,
there are lots
of female leaders.
Their resistance
is a big inspiration for us.
It also inspires male fighters.
Leadership begins with women.
Their strength, resistance,
and morale
makes us feel much stronger.
[Evlin] Our comrades at war
are pushing ISIS out,
for us to return home.
Long live the resistance
of YPG and YPJ.
[women chanting] Long live the resistance of YPJ!
Long live the resistance of YPJ!
Long live the resistance of YPJ!
[chanting continues]
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
Long live
the resistance of Kobane!
[Ayse]
The fight for Syria's freedom,
the fight
for Western Kurdistan's freedom,
is the fight
for women's freedom.
Thousands of women
have been raped,
thousands of women
have been slaughtered,
and thousands of women
have been kidnapped.
And no one stood
for the women of Syria.
That's why the revolution
in Western Kurdistan
is led by women.
Even today,
in many Western countries,
what some women don't realize
is that freedom is not only
about one's look.
It's not about physical beauty.
But YPJ does not think this way.
YPJ started
with the concept that freedom
is something
that begins in the mind.
A woman's true beauty
is found in her mind.
It's in her intellect.
It's in her perspective.
[coughing]
I'm not crying, it's the smoke.
Don't we have gas here?
Unlike fighting
in the mountains,
our comrades didn't have
any experience in urban warfare.
But we have gained
a lot of experience now.
Long before I joined
the movement, I accepted death.
Our commitment to our leader
and to our fallen comrades
gives us the strength
to fear nothing.
I save this final bullet
in case the enemy captures me.
It's better
that I end my own life.
Even 40-50 year old
Kurdish women
picked up a weapon
and fought against ISIS.
They stood
with the YPG and YPJ fighters
on the front lines.
They didn't want to leave
their children to fight alone.
The pains of all women
are great,
but those of Kurdish women
are greater,
because they all have
a wound in their heart.
Their wound is their martyrs.
Today every family has
at least two, three
or four members killed.
Despite all this,
Kurdish women
continue to join the resistance.
And when we talk
about women's rights,
we stand and resist
for the women of the world.
-Women, life, freedom!
-[ululating cheers]
Women of Pirsus, Kobane,
Kurdistan and Turkey,
I welcome you all
from the bottom of my heart.
[cheering]
We are on the border of Kobane.
Comrades of YPG and YPJ
can hear our support.
Let's cheer for them.
The National Council of Syria
had a meeting
in Istanbul yesterday.
They have criticized
Moscow's initiative
in inviting members
of the opposition.
They ask that only
the representatives
of the people of Syria
be invited.
May God help us.
-Are you going to school?
-[Evlin] Yes.
-Who is your teacher?
-Teacher Ruken.
-Is she from Kobane?
-Yes.
Aren't you late?
Your friends are going.
No grandpa,
we have a play today.
It's time to go now.
Thank you my daughter.
Goodbye, dad.
I'm going to the fight.
-Mother, I'm going to the fight.
-No my darling, you can't go.
You can't go, sister.
You are still young.
I want to go shed
my blood for Kobane.
Look, your sister
has been wounded.
Look at her eyes.
You can't fight.
-Mother, I am going.
-No, my daughter.
Sister, you shouldn't go.
-[indistinct speech]
-[melancholic music]
[music swells]
[girl]
Hello mom, my sister is killed.
How do you know?
[girl] I'm next to her now.
Cover her face.
Martyrs never die.
[all] Martyrs never die.
-[siren]
-Martyrs never die!
[all chanting]
Martyrs never die!
[Evlin] YPG and YPJ love us.
They die for us.
ISIS kills and slaughters them.
ISIS should be punished.
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
YPJ, kick ISIS out of our land!
[man] Please keep clear
of the emergency entrance.
-Move to the other side!
-[confused shouts]
I will take your camera away!
Don't record!
[kids playing]
I have been wounded three times.
The last time was
in my homeland, in Kobane.
Two of my children
are still in the battle now.
ISIS slaughters
and beheads our friends.
I saw it with my own eyes.
This is not a story.
Comrade Mustafa,
father of five kids, was killed.
He was beheaded.
I witnessed it all.
When we catch the enemy,
because of our traditions,
values and belief
in our movement,
we don't kill or behead anyone.
We try to introduce ourselves.
We are not the enemy
of any person.
And we will never show enmity
towards others.
They are saying that I'm old
and should rest,
but I don't agree.
Comrades ask me
why I keep returning.
I told them I want to fight.
I told them
I want to defend my homeland.
I told them
I will fight even with one hand.
I want to stand
next to my comrades.
The young men and women
on the front lines
are like my children.
Until the last drop of blood,
I will fight for my homeland.
[woman]
♪ Fire on the waterfront
♪ Like the eternal flames
In my heart ♪
♪ Everyone wants
A piece from our homeland ♪
♪ She is the mother
Of civilization... ♪
[explosions and firing]
[Azad] The Kurds are ready
to pick up a rifle
and defend their lands.
But for the international
community, it's up to them.
For all these European countries
and the whole world...
it's up to them what they
will do with these people,
because these people
are trying to take us
back to the Dark Ages.
We've been pushing forward
a lot.
[firing]
[man] Someone go on the roof!
[distant firing]
[in Kurdish] Our interview
is not finished yet.
A motorcycle is approaching.
Let me keep watch for it.
[thunder]
We will liberate
all of Western Kurdistan
so people won't suffer
any more in the camps.
They can return to their homes
and their homeland
and live better days ahead.
[TV] 75% of Kobane
is under the control
of YPG
and Peshmerga Kurdish forces.
[Aladdin] Present arms!
Order arms!
Present arms!
Order arms!
[laughter]
We should remember
the comrades of YPG, YPJ,
and the Peshmergas.
Today in Sinjar,
and in Kobane...
they are resisting
against the bullets
of the ISIS thugs.
And no one should think
of sitting on a throne.
Thrones are built
by the blood of its martyrs.
No one owns Kurdistan.
It belongs to those
who worked, sacrificed,
and died for it.
[chanting and cheering]
Now we are walking
to the Kaniya Kurda Hill,
which has been liberated
by YPG and YPJ fighters.
YPG and YPJ fighters
are about to plant
their flag on the hill.
This is a very important moment
because it means that Kobane
is completely liberated.
[sporadic firing]
[festive music]
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ Women, Life, Freedom!
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ The heart of Kurdistan
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ A prime example
Of resistance ♪
[crowd] Kobane!
♪ The spirit of life
[crowd] Kobane!
[music continues]
I want to fly, too.
[Kurdish rock music]
[Evlin] Kobane is liberated.
Everyone is celebrating.
And everyone is happy.
I'm very happy, too.
♪ Uprising! Resistance!
♪ Uprising is life
Resistance is life ♪
♪ Uprising! Resistance!
♪ Uprising is life
Resistance is life ♪
♪ Uprising is life
Resistance is life... ♪
[man] We are going to say enough
to oppression and repression.
Let's sing together!
-To the heavy wounds!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To mass murder and barbarism!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To oppression!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To racism!
-[crowd] Enough!
-To tanks and guns!
-[crowd] Enough!
All together again!
[cheering]
♪ Enough is enough
♪ Stand up for your rights
♪ Enough is enough...
[Evlin] When we go back home
I will walk back barefoot.
I won't wear shoes.
I will leave them behind.
We won't take anything back
with us.
No socks, no shoes.
Just like that.
We prefer to go back home.
I love my homeland.
How could we survive
without a homeland?
It was very dirty in here,
but comrades cleaned it.
They were eating
and drinking here.
[woman] ISIS fighters?
[woman 2]
No. YPG fighters were here.
[woman]
So ISIS didn't make it here?
[Enwer] No, they couldn't.
We have been at war
with ISIS for over a year now.
I did not leave the Canton.
I didn't fight,
but I stood next to my comrades.
I congratulate
their resistance and victory.
And we honor the fallen ones.
They left us bright days ahead.
Men and women of Kobane
fought until the end.
A major part of the resistance
in Kobane was led by women.
In Kobane,
they stood against tanks,
and against ISIS,
the greatest savages.
Young women fought to prevent
even a single braid
falling into the hands of ISIS.
For example, Arin Mirxan
sacrificed herself
to prevent ISIS from taking
over Mistenur Hill,
just like many other fighters
and commanders of the YPJ.
It may hurt some male fighters
to hear this...
but believe me, 70 to 80 percent
of our victory was led by women.
Resistance of women.
There was a big battle
when I came to Kobane.
Especially in the city.
We were not as technically
advanced as the enemy,
but our spirit
and energy were greater.
We honored the fallen
and we moved forward.
Our confidence
kept getting stronger
and now we are liberating
the villages.
The enemy saw
that the only option
they had left was to retreat.
We all know that ISIS has lost.
As they retreat
they might try to attack
other towns around Kobane.
We will face them anywhere
as the fighters
of the YPG and YPJ.
Long live the resistance
of YPG and YPJ!
[chuckling]
[kids chatting]
People are leaving for Kobane.
The tents are ruined.
And children are happy
because they created
a playground from the leftovers
of the tents.
[laughter]
I have less friends now.
I love the ones
who were here before.
I miss them.
Now their tents are empty,
they all left for Kobane.
And I'm left with few friends.
PEACE SQUARE
♪ Kobane is full
Of sorrow today ♪
♪ Her body burns and bleeds
♪ She sheds tears like the rain Oh, Kobane ♪
♪ She sheds tears like the rain Oh, Kobane ♪
WELCOME TO KOBANE
[indistinct chatter]
Long live the resistance
of Kobane.
[children crying]
We are grateful to see this day.
We have returned
to our bereaved Kobane.
We have shed
a lot of tears and blood
but we are finally home.
We will rebuild it
better than before.
Those ISIS savages thought
they could just massacre us.
Our children
are brave like lions.
We got rid of them here
and the rest
of the world should, too.
Thanks to our comrades,
the victory is ours.
I did not leave Kobane.
The battle started
on September 14th,
and since that time,
I've been here.
Following the liberation
of Kobane,
families have been returning
day by day.
And we want
all of them to return.
The love for Kobane is rooted
in our children
and in our families.
If Kobane was not liberated,
then children
and families wouldn't be free.
They are all connected
to one another.
[ululating cheer]
[Enwer]
After all it was a big battle...
A historical battle.
Whoever is hurt
by the sufferings
of the men, women
and children of Kobane,
should stand with us
and help Kobane
for the sake of humanity.
They should help spread
the voice of Kobane
to all the organizations
and governments
around the world.
Kobane sacrificed for the world
in the fight against terrorism.
Due to our sacrifices,
we are facing a catastrophe now.
We need logistical, medical,
infrastructural
and educational help.
Eighty percent of the city
is completely destroyed.
Eighty percent of the villages
are vandalized.
I am hoping people will help
and embrace Kobane.
It's the symbol of resistance
against global terror.
We need your help.
That's all I can say.
[background chatter]
I went to the school.
They gave me my report card.
The school is finished.
I'm at home now.
EXCELLENT [ALL GRADES]
[giggles]
Hopefully we can return home
in two or three months.
[laughs] Wow!
Kobane is that way.
[melancholic music]
[haunting vocal music]