Who is afraid of ideology?
Marwa Arsanios

Who is afraid of ideology?

2017, part I, 23 min

Shot in the mountains of Kurdistan in the early 2017, primarily focuses on the Autonomous Women’s Movement in Rojava and its structures of self-governance and knowledge production. This is a guerrilla-led movement that views gender liberation as a coexisting and equal struggle to that of resolving the conflicts of war, feudalism, religious tensions and economic struggle. But despite its core emphasis on ecology and feminism, the autonomous women’s movement is not a liberal project. It is an ideology that has emerged from and is practiced through war. The movement’s most recent participation includes the Syrian Revolution which began in 2011 and remains ongoing.

Who is afraid of ideology?

2018, part II, 28 min

Looks at different ecofeminist groups including the Autonomous Women’s Movement in Rojava and the way they attempt to take care of the land and themselves. Taking this as an example of an alliance between a community of women, nature and animals, Arsanios focuses on different aspects that such alternative economy and world re-building proposes. The film also problematizes the role “naturally” assigned to women, potentially falling back into care work.