Iraq Selects No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman as Its Oscar Entry Ahead of Venice World Premiere

Rooted in the Iraqi-Kurdish-Norwegian director's encounter with a female Peshmerga sniper during the 2014 frontline battles, the film follows Vyan, a Kurdish sniper who has survived by suppressing her emotions. When she discovers her younger sister may still be alive after the ISIS assault, she returns to Mosul, embarking on a search that becomes both a rescue and a confrontation with the trauma she carries.

No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman (main still) (downloadable)Halkawt Mustafa (downloadable)No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman (downloadable)

The film is also deeply personal. I was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled to Norway as a child. Through Vyan’s story, I want to honour the women who refused to bow to darkness and fought not only for themselves, but for the freedom of others - Halkawt Mustafa’

Filmed on location in Mosul, the production embraces the city’s physical reality to achieve a level of authenticity Mustafa felt could only come from the place itself.

The decision to select the film as Iraq's official submission was reached by unanimous consensus by the Iraqi National Selection Committee for the Academy Awards, following a rigorous artistic evaluation of the eligible submissions. The committee commended the film’s mature directorial vision and the cohesive integration of its visual and technical craftsmanship, delivering cinematic work that articulates the depth of local narratives with the artistic distinction needed to compete on the global stage.

No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman is written and directed by Norwegian-Kurdish filmmaker Halkawt Mustafa and produced by Hene Films. in co-production with La Media (Iraqi Kurdistan) and The Chimney Pot (Sweden). True Colours handles international sales.