The Other Side of the River

19-year-old Hala escaped an arranged marriage by crossing the Euphrates to find a new home with a Kurdish women's defense unit - a unit that went on to liberate her hometown of Minbij from the Islamic State. For her fellow fighters, the enemy is not just IS, but patriarchy in general, with (forced) marriage as the ultimate institution of oppression. The young women are trained in combat and educated in the feminist ideals of the Kurdish women's movement. Hala is deeply inspired by these teachings and is resolutely dedicated to the promise of liberating not only more women, but also her sisters at any cost. But is there still room for freedom and even love in Hala's life when her mission takes over everything? THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER depicts Hala's determined, revolutionary journey while illuminating another, parallel life experience: the director's own reflections on being a feminist and cultural outsider in a situation where the term "militant feminism" could well be understood literally.