Avan Jamal puts on a captivating performance as the fearless sniper Vyan, who is desperately trying to find her missing sister abducted by ISIS in mid-2010s Iraq, in Halkawt Mustafa’s thriller No Paradise If You Are Killed by a Woman.
Most of the footage was shot among the rubble of war-torn Mosul, giving the film a striking sense of realism, which the script is not quite able to match. A few frustrating narrative choices ultimately keep it from reaching greatness.
It still remains an engaging watch throughout and it ends on a very affecting note.
Iraq has selected it as their submission for Best International Feature Film at next year’s Oscars.
