Visit Films acquires Berlinale premiere “Dream’s Gate”

Visit Films will represent worldwide rights for the documentary “Dream’s Gate”, which will be world premiering at the Berlinale 2023 in the Generations section. Iranian filmmaker Negin Ahmadi travels to the war zone of Northern Syria to follow the lives of the women in the YPJ – an all-female Kurdish militia. Armed only with her camera, she captures the struggles, hopes, and joys of these incredible women, for whom the fight against ISIS is also their way to escape the restraints of a patriarchal society.

Ahmadi said, “During the journey to make this film, I was searching for my lost identity, power and the meaning of femininity. I had heard that Kurdish female fighters are the symbols of power and freedom in their society. Now, four years have passed and I can say with confidence that the truth is much more complicated. I am so happy that, working together with Visit Films, we can share the story of these women and their dreams with audiences around the world.”

“Dream’s Gate” is directed by Negin Ahmadi and produced by Elaheh Nobakht. Elaheh is a pioneer in Iranian cinema, with producing credits including “The Apple Day”, “Silent House”, “Beloved”, and “Destiny”. She was also the distributor of “Finding Farideh”, the official Iranian entry for the 2020 Oscars.

“Dream’s Gate” is a co-production between Iran, France, and Norway, with production companies Eli Image’, Ava Studios Paris, Spætt Film AS, and Babel Doc.

Visit President Ryan Kampe said, “This is one of the most real and raw accounts of women in war that has ever been made. Ahmadi has put herself in the path of direct harm in order to shed light on this incredible group of women and the sacrifices that they make in a region where women are often hidden in the shadows.”