Directed by Kurdish filmmaker Halkawt Mustafa, *No Paradise if Killed by a Woman* has become Iraq’s official submission in the Best International Feature Film category for the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled to take place in 2027. The film follows a female Peshmerga who secretly infiltrates the ISIS-controlled area of Mosul in an attempt to rescue her younger sister; it portrays the role and sacrifices of Kurdish women during the war. The epic drama had its world premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, in the main venue, Sala Grande. Some of the cast, the director and members of the crew wore traditional Kurdish clothing on the red carpet. The director said the film would make an impact worldwide. Rezan Hama Salih, a representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government, described the premiere as “a historic day for the Kurdish nation.” Festival Director Alberto Barbera, meanwhile, praised the production for its powerful portrayal of the Kurdish people’s struggle against ISIS.
Why it matters
This development does not mean that the film has been nominated in the Oscar race; it refers to Iraq’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category. The distinction is important for correctly understanding the current stage of the Academy process. By placing Kurdish women’s wartime experiences and their role in the fight against ISIS at its center, the production highlights the cultural representation dimension of this narrative in an international festival setting. The world premiere in Venice and the submission on behalf of Iraq make it possible to assess the film both in terms of the visibility of Kurdish cinema and Iraq’s choice of narrative on the international stage. However, this news does not answer whether the submission will later turn into an Oscar nomination.
Background
Kürt is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 3 reports mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the latest is dated August 29, 2026.