Ten years ago, amid the turmoil of the Syrian civil war, an experiment in self-government unfolded in the Kurdish north of the country. During our first reporting trip in March 2014, we saw how the Kurds were shaping their newfound freedom, but also how Islamic State was rearing its head.
The threat of IS came very close when a suicide attack took place in the heart of Qamishlo, just where we had been conducting interviews half an hour earlier. A total of seven people were killed that day. It was IS's first attack against Kurdish civilians, an event that left a deep impression.
Today, Syria has faded into the background, but the struggle for Kurdish self-rule continues. Back in Qamishlo, we hear how the victims of the attack have come to terms with their loss, but also how the revolution in Rojava has failed to deliver on many of its promises.
