Intersections of Female Kurdishness, Resilience, and Quest for Freedom in Ava Homa’s Daughters of Smoke and Fire

Abstract

Ava Homa’s Daughter of Smoke and Fire (2020) shows females that share common attributes that intersect, such as ethnic, individual, cultural, and gender identities in the face of atrocities of patriarchy and theocracy in the context of Iran. The female characters, especially Leila, reflect women of Kurdistan who, despite local and internal struggles and issues, have to deal with imposed realities where their very female identity is subject to subjugation and marginalization related to the same identity with more restrictions and limitations. Leila portrays a rather explicit Kurdish yet female-centered identity in battle with the patriarchy and theocratic laws of Iran. The interplay of ethnicity, gender, and class is displayed in the work, which is more focused on intersectional issues related to the female self.