The Last Butterflies

i

A group of haval — comrades — train in the mountains where their military bases are positioned. Most are from the Kurdish regions of Iran and belong to the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Within it, the Women’s Protection Forces (HPJ) forms an all-female fighting unit.

i

Haval Biseng — a comrade — braids another haval’s hair. Haval Biseng is a young haval from Rojhalat, who chose her name inspired by the previous Haval Biseng, an iconic figure in the Kurdish women’s movement. For her and her comrades, the braid (kezî) is a badge of honor, linking their fight in the mountains to the Women, Life, Freedom revolution in Iran.

i

A moment of rest for the Women’s Protection Forces inside one of the caves. The havals — comrades — keep watch and follow news as the situation in Iran continues to unfold.

i

Havals— comrades — walk through the cave. This cave is used to host temporary guests before they are sent to other caves for military training, ideological study, or daily communal activities.

i

Two havals — comrades — take a break along the river between two caves. Most of the time, they walk between caves for three to four hours, avoiding main roads to remain unseen.

i

A moment of real intimacy between havals — these are women who genuinely feel communality in every gesture and shared breath. In their rhythms of daily life, care for one another is not just practical but deeply rooted in a collective ethic: cooking together, mending boots, braiding hair, sharing silence, and speaking openly about fears and hopes.

i

Haval Silav, 28, is a Kurdish woman from Bakur who grew up in Italy since she was four. Three years ago, after four years studying medicine, she left Italy and joined the Women’s Protection Forces (HPJ), inspired by the Jin, Jiyan, Azadî movement, to dedicate herself to the free Kurdish nation and women’s role in society.

i

Haval Nuziyan (left) is from Bakur, and Haval Cekzin (right) is from Rojava. Both joined the Women’s Protection Forces (HPJ) to become women with free will. They draw strength from their friendship with fellow havals and from their engagement with Öcalan’s writings.

i

Havals bake bread and cook meals inside a small underground base. The HPJ live, study, and train militarily across caves, underground bases, and mountain peaks. They frequently change positions to practice different skills and to be able to operate in any situation.

i

Havals walk inside one of the caves. These women fight to dismantle the patriarchy, saying: “Before the rifle, fight yourself; before the war, fight in life.”They are women who come from different lives but feel united. They all insist that love is not about becoming a man’s slave.

i

A view of part of the cave, which houses a fully equipped hospital: dentist and X-ray rooms, doctors’ bedrooms, a surgery room, patient rooms, a kitchen and communal dining area, and baths for both HPJ women and male comrades.

i

Haval Aryen plays with Haval Biseng and the cave’s cat. Aryen, 21, is from Rojhalat and joined the Women’s Protection Forces (HPJ) two years ago. She says she fights for her family and for the Kurdish people, who have long been oppressed, and that the only right they have is to die.

i

A group of havals rest and joke together, sharing intimacy after a long walk through the mountains where their secret bases are hidden. “We are the unstoppable cream of freedom. We are the third butterfly. We are ready to fight and sacrifice. We are ready to win a millennial war against the evil patriarchy, on behalf of all suppressed women, on behalf of all oppressed people.”

i

Haval Media plays with the bird in her underground base.She says she has suffered greatly for a fallen comrade and that the revolution feels more alive than ever now, especially because of the situation in Iran. The friendship between them always moves her deeply in a positive way.

i

A haval enters one of the underground bases. Unlike the caves, these bases are built very quickly and are much more austere. When discovered by the enemy, they are immediately abandoned and left to collapse.

i

Havals read Öcalan’s books. All military training is always accompanied by ideological study based on his writings and the networks he established from prison. After the PKK’s ceasefire with Turkey, Öcalan has been able to communicate more with the party and, above all, to offer a more modern interpretation of his earlier ideas.

i

Three butterflies see a fire from afar. The first reaches it and returns, saying it is light. The second comes back, saying it is warm. The third flies closer and dissolves into it, never returning. To reach “the truth,” one must sacrifice.For these female Kurdish guerrillas, this is an analogy of their struggle, inspired by the philosophy of the imprisoned Abdullah Öcalan.

i

A fighter from a special unit, covering her face for security, is training as a sniper. She has completed sniper and drone training and is ready to enter Rojhalat if they send her.

i

Female Kurdish guerrillas of the all-female HPJ run downhill, sharing a moment of freedom and joy. These women fighters laugh and have fun together, celebrating their solidarity, strength, and commitment to the cause, rooted in jineology — the Kurdish feminist ideology linking women’s liberation with social freedom and equality.

i

A group of HPJ women march along the mountain, their camouflage uniforms blending with the environment. Their pants, similar to men’s Kurdish trousers, also have a military purpose: to avoid detection by infrared from planes or drones.