‘sinja’
Address: —
interpreters: Nora Navas, Halima Ilter, Iman Ido Koro, Guim Puig, Mouafaq Rushdie, Luisa Gavasa
Year: —
premiere: —
★★★
Three women who seem worlds apart are bound by a single, unsettling issue: the grip of Islamic fundamentalism that reshapes every choice they make. One is a young woman who breaks free from captivity and joins a Kurdish militia, seeking safety and purpose after the trauma she endured. Another woman is pressed into lifelong servitude, forced to work night after night for a man who believes he owns her. A mother watches her son drift from the familiar to the unknown, drawn to the call of jihad and the violence it promises. In this introspective drama, a Catalan director peers into the intimate corners of vulnerability, showing how men can become voiceless in the shadow of domination, how impotence can simmer into anger, and how rebellion begins when imposed rules feel unbearable.
ambitious and sensitive
Sinjar is a film that pushes beyond surface storytelling. It tells its story with ambition while keeping a humane heartbeat. The narrative centers closely on its three protagonists, inviting viewers to inhabit their daily struggles, hopes, and fears. The approach is respectful and grounded in survival rather than sentimentality, revealing the tenderness and dignity that persist even amid barbarism. The portrayal leans into the realism of life under threat, offering a mirror to a world where violence is pervasive and the human need for connection remains strong. The film refuses easy conclusions, instead presenting a raw, lived experience that feels both urgent and inevitable in its truth.
The storytelling unfolds with a careful, almost documentary pace, lending gravity to each decision the characters face. Through intimate camera work and restrained dialogue, the audience is invited to witness resilience as a daily practice. The director shows how communities react when the fabric of safety unravels, and how individuals find moments of courage that defy the noise of fear. By centering women’s perspectives, the film crafts a nuanced conversation about agency, consent, and the costs of resistance in a world where power often silences the vulnerable.