International Competition

Rojek converses with some of the most important members of the Islamic State (ISIS), who are currently being detained in prison camps in Syrian Kurdistan. They share a common dream: establishing a caliphate. Confronted with the fundamentalist beliefs of the jihadists, the film attempts to trace the beginning, the rise and fall of the Islamic State through their personal stories. The documentary evolves along the thread of these conversations, intertwined with various sequences depicting current, post-war Syrian Kurdistan. The film offers an intimate gaze at an unknown reality, testifying of pivotal moments experienced by the actors of this conflict. It also tackles how this ideological war is only the beginning of a new kind of threat.