Since the rise of Daesh (Islamic State), global perceptions of the Kurdish people have shifted dramatically. Once a largely overlooked population subjected to decades of repression, they are now recognized as a pivotal force in the fight against terror — represented by a complex web of political and military factions.

Western media outlets began reporting on the growing strike power of Kurdish forces and their strategic successes on the battlefield. The Peshmerga, the official military of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, have received international support from countries like the USA, Russia, Germany, and the broader EU. Yet it is the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — long designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the United States — that has emerged as a central, if controversial, player in the conflict with Daesh and the unrest in southeastern Turkey. 

The PKK’s ideological reach extends through sister parties and affiliated combat units, including the YPG and YPJ militias in Syria, and guerrilla formations that echo both the HDP’s democratic vision and the PKK’s militant roots. 

The documentary project Das Leben ist für uns. offers an intimate look inside the lives and beliefs of PKK members — individuals often dismissed by the West as insurgents, yet deeply committed to a radical political vision. In early 2016, Viktor Hübner traveled to the mountains of northern Iraq, where he spent several weeks with PKK fighters. Through portraits, observations, and in-depth interviews, he sought to explore the layers of ideology, the pressures of war, and the meaning of belonging in a stateless struggle. 
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Softcover
220-pages, 71 colour pictures
Language: German
Released: July 2016
Self-Published

Since the rise of Daesh (Islamic State), global perceptions of the Kurdish people have shifted dramatically. Once a largely overlooked population subjected to decades of repression, they are now recognized as a pivotal force in the fight against terror — represented by a complex web of political and military factions.

Western media outlets began reporting on the growing strike power of Kurdish forces and their strategic successes on the battlefield. The Peshmerga, the official military of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, have received international support from countries like the USA, Russia, Germany, and the broader EU. Yet it is the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — long designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the United States — that has emerged as a central, if controversial, player in the conflict with Daesh and the unrest in southeastern Turkey.