Into the fire
These women once fled ISIS. Now they defuse the landmines the militants left behind in their Yazidi homeland in northern Iraq - by Aeon Video Watch on Aeon
In August 2014, ISIS targeted Sinjar, a town in northern Iraq with a large Yazidi population, a Kurdish-speaking minority often persecuted by ISIS. ISIS considered the Yazidis infidels and retaliated by killing thousands and enslaving hundreds of women and girls, widely acknowledged as genocide. The documentary "Into the Fire" showcases Hana Khider, a Yazidi woman leading an all-female de-mining team for the Mines Advisory Group.
Khider, affiliated with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which earned the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize alongside its coordinator Jody Williams, undertakes the challenging task of discovering and neutralizing hidden explosives left behind by ISIS. Some of these explosives are cleverly disguised as common objects, including children's toys.
Captured in a moving narrative by British filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel, "Into the Fire" juxtaposes Khider's demanding work as a de-miner with her personal life as a wife and mother, highlighting the resilience and dedication required to rebuild a community after such traumatic events. As part of a broader five-part series exploring the enduring impact of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, produced in collaboration with the Nobel Prize and National Geographic, "Into the Fire" underscores the ongoing struggle for peace and justice.
Written by urgent.news from Aeon's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
