Kurdish Films / page 2 “Kurdish cinema is like a pregnant woman. One must help her to give birth.” (Bahman Ghobadi) There are lots of films dealing with Kurds in one way or another, though not all of them in Kurdish language.
NARCISSUS BLOSSOM Directors: Masoud Arif Salih & Hussein Hassan Ali Cast: Hussein Hassan Ali, Masoud Arif Salih, Bakir Kovli, Beybun, Mohammed A. Artishi, Ismail Zuber, Hakar Mohsin, Shahin Kivork South Kurdistan (Iraq) 2005 / 80m / Kurdish (Kurmanji) with English subtitles / 15 Iraq in the 1970s. Saddam Hussein signs the Algerian agreement with Shah of Iran and military pressure on the Kurds is increasing. Saddam targets the autonomous Kurdish region where Jagar, a young Kurdish student is taking part in protests. When his friends are arrested, tortured and killed, he decides to join the Kurdish pesmargha forces opposed to the Iraqi military
TODAY – TOMORROW (Îro – Sibe) Director: Sarbast Rasol Cast: Vlademir Maisuradze, Inna Karolyova, Mstojan Mamed, Ruben Muradian Russia 2002 / 73m / Kurdish & Russian with English subtitles/15 The story of a young Kurdish family's desperate attempt to travel to Europe through Russia and the strain it brings on the couple's relationship. The family wait in Russia for a forged passport in order to travel to Europe but will the people smugglers keep their word? Hawrey Mustafa WHIRLPOOL (Gejaw)
Cast: Shwan Atof, Tavga Mohamed, Shadman Aziz Kurdistan / 80m / Kurdish with no subtitles / 15
journey of Kurdish emigrants on a ship going to Europe. Yilmaz Arslan FRATRICIDE Director: Yilmaz Arslan Cast: Valentina Christova-Katina, Jean-Luc Ristic, Cécile Navarro, Mai Seck, Yusuf Geçtan. Germany 2005 / 96m / German, Kurdish and Turkish with English subtitles / 15 Ibo and Azad, two young Kurdish refugees recently arrived in Germany, quickly experience the harshness of their new life. Their encounter with a gang of Turks leads them inevitably into a tragic spiral of death and revenge. FRATRICIDE is an explosive tale of desperate conflict and bloody revenge, a savage, furious, and heartbreaking portrait of raw humanity struggling for safety, for dignity, for survival in the face of violence, exile and the brutal indifference of a society that simply ignores them. Akram Sulayman HELLO HOLLAND Director: Akram Sulayman Cast: Shamaly Abarash, Shadan Fouad, Lava Akram Sulayman, Ko van der Van. Holland 2004 / 90m / Kurdish (Sorani), English and Dutch with English subtitles / 15 The story of a refugee family from Iraqi Kurdistan and their life in the Netherlands as they wait for the outcome of their asylum application. The family has no status in the Netherlands and are forced to live in a small village where they are the first refugees. They are happy with their home but the villagers are less happy about their arrival… Lauand Omar BEKHAL'S TEARS Director: Lauand Omar Cast : Ozzie Aziz, Aware Xan, Fuad Kamo. South Kurdistan (Iraq) 2005 / 85m / Kurdish (Sorani) with English subtitles / 15 A small village in Iraqi Kurdistan. Bekhal is a young woman who wants to make something of her life. Of course, her parents have their own plans for their daughter. They don't see the point of her going to university when there is work to do at home, and she is also expected to marry her cousin Shwan. Bekhal may protest but she is truly trapped. Now is the time for her to make a decision. Made Omed EXORCISM (Rawe Jinoke) Director: Mahdi Omed Cast: Tariq Akreyi, Omar Chawsheen, Hawjin Sardar, Haval Hamajwan Produced by Cultural Ministry in Arbil (Cinema Section) Kurdistan 1993 / 80m / Kurdish with English subtitles / 15 In 1991, Saddam launched a major attack on the Kurdish cities in response to the Kurdish uprising, and thousands of Kurds fled to the mountains and the borders in fear of another chemical attack. This was the last major battle between Saddam's regime and the Kurds. The film focuses on an elderly man, Qudret Agha, who loses his daughter, Maryam, in the flight and enlists the help of a young man, Jwamer to find her. Jwamer extracts a promise from Qudret Agha, that if they if find Maryam, he will claim her as his wife. But after a long search, they find Maryam in one of the refugee camps, by which time she already has a lover, so she refuses to marry Jwamer, and that's when the troubles starts. NIGHT OF MANY YEARS Director: Made Omed Cast: Produced by Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Culture South Kurdistan (Iraq) 2006 / 75m / Kurdish and Arabic with English subtitles / 15 Pirdawd Kerkuki and his wife who have lived in their house for 20 years, are made homeless when a high ranking Arab military officer takes over their home during the Ba’ath occupation of Kirkuk. When the town is liberated, the owners and invaders share a tense night together in the house, in which the psychological and moral dimensions and choices thrown up by their situation come to a thrilling climax. Nizamettin Aric A SONG FOR BEKO Director: Nizamettin Aric Cast: Nizamettin Aric, Bezara Arsen, Lusika Hesen Germany 1992 / 110m / Kurdish with English Subtitles Nizamettin Aric made his directorial debut and also starred in the film, one of the first in Kurdish. Beko begins his long pilgrimage, in search of his brother, in Kurdish areas of Turkey, where he escapes arrest. Fleeing into Syria, this modern-day Odysseus then makes his way into the serenely beautiful highlands of the Kurdish areas of Iraq. Here, in a nomadic community caring for refugee children, Beko finds himself and a homeland. Jamil Rostami REQUIEM OF SNOW Director: Jamil Rostami Cast: Shadi Variani, Mohayeddin Variani, Masoud Yousefi, Abdullah Ahmadi, Jalil Mohammad Veysi, Delnia Farajpour, Anvar Farajpour. South Kurdistan (Iraq) 2005 / 90m / Kurdish (Sorani) with English subtitles / 15 In an ancient village perched on the side of mountains at the Iraq-Iran border, traditional life and contemporary change intersect. After the children chant a poetic plea for rain, a long drought ends and a new season of hope is promised. But not for teenager Rojan engaged to Jian who is working abroad to earn money for their marriage. Rojan's father, nearly bankrupted by the drought, can't wait. Rojan must marry elderly but wealthy local entrepreneur Faegh. A devious salesman, Saeed, takes advantage of the rebellious Rojan who soon once again finds herself having to escape from an even more unacceptable situation. Rostami's dark fable features a non-professional cast with an oustanding performance by Shadi Veryani as Rojan. Yuksel Yavuz A LITTLE BIT OF FREEDOM (Hinek Azadî) Director: Yüksel Yavuz Cast: Cagdas Bozkurt, Leroy Delmar, Nazmi Kirik, Necmettin Cobanoglu, Susanna Rozkosny, Sunay Girisken Germany 2002 / 98m / German & Turkish with English subtitles / 15 Set in Hamburg's immigrant district of Altona, Yüksel Yavuz's second feature film (after APRIL CHILDREN) tells the story of a friendship between two young men. Baran is a Kurd whose relatives have helped him to come to Germany after the death of his parents. He survives by running errands for a Turkish fast-food restaurant, which take him from the finest apartments to the lowest clip joints, but his application for asylum is rejected just before his sixteenth birthday. When Baran encounters Chernor, an illegal and stateless immigrant, his life gains impetus. But while Chernor tries to finance his future by drug dealing, Baran's past catches up with him.
FOLLOW THE FEATHER! (Perre Dima So!) Director: Nuray Sahin Cast: Pegah Ferydoni, Neza Selbuz, Dilek Serindag Germany 2004 / 80m German & Kurdish-Zazaki with English subtitles Young Helin is brought up by her father in Turkey. The night before he dies her father gives Helin a white feather to guide her and asks her to search for her mother and sister who went to Germany a long time ago. With the white feather she starts her journey to Germany and finds her mother and her sister in Berlin. Seeing each other again means that the past can be cleared and the search for a common future can begin. But Helin's journey is not yet finished. The feather appears in her dreams and takes her to strange places where an unknown young man appears again and again... Jaleel Zangana MAMA RISHA Director: Jaleel Zangana Cast: Jaheed Dillpak, Abdul Hama Jwan, Marina Shamdinani, Jaleel Zangana Kurdistan 2003 / 82m / Kurdish with no subtitles / 15 Based on a real-life Kurdish warrior, this film explores one man's fight against an oppressive regime. Mama Rasha is a legendary figure in Kurdistan and his exploits are still talked about today. This action packed film explores his fight against the Iraqi regime and its policies. KHOLA PIZA Director: Jaleel Zangana Cast: Mustafa Ahmad, Zhyan Ibrahim, Barzan Qala Khalluz, Nawal Saeed Kurdistan 1998 / 80m / Kurdish with English subtitles / 15 This film explores the life of Khola Piza who was a farmer in Kurdistan and is still a legendary figure today. When shortly after the Second World War, government forces came to his village and started making life difficult for the villagers, he chose to resist, and left for the mountains with a band of followers. His fight against the government of Iraq continued until his death in 1952. Araz Rashid THE BURNING PARADISE Director: Araz Rashid Cast: Parosh Muharam, Vian Azad, Mostafa Ahmad Sweden 1999 / 80m Sorani with English subtitles. A young veterinarian tries to help a wounded boy who has been shot by the Iraqi police as he tries to draw a swastika on Saddam Hussein's poster. They flee from the city to the liberated area. The veterinarian falls in love with the local mayor. This starts a conflict with her family. The conflict goes on until the Iraqi Army attacks the village.
YELLOW DAYS Director: Ravin Asaf Cast: Sandra Steffl, Hogar Tanya, Hama Ali Chan, Nur Surer Germany 2002 / 85m / Kurdish with English subtitles Thirteen year old "Devil" Pascha and his gang are always creating chaos in their village. No one escapes his cheeky pranks, be they the Mullah of the village, his mother or his sister. One day a German soprano singer visits the village to write her doctoral thesis. All the men of the village, including the feudal lord Ali Aga and the Mullah dream of marrying this golden haired angel. This gives "Devil" Pascha an opportunity to create even more mischief. Umit Elci MEM AND ZIN Director: Umit Elci Cast: Meltem Doganay, Halil Ergun, Musa Anter, Fusun Demirel Turkey 1991 / 90m / Turkish with English subtitles During Kurdish New Year, Newroz, two brothers and two sisters go to the celebrations. Mem and Zin fall in love and exchange rings without ever knowing whether they will meet again. This story of two tragically separated lovers is also an allegory for the tragic fate of the Kurds, separated and denied. Ibrahim Selman A SILENT TRAVELLER Director: Ibrahim Selman Cast: Abdulkadir Yousif, Walid Hadji, Halima Sadik, Umet Ali. Bangin Abdulkadir, Said Ali Netherlands / 92mins / 1994 / Kurdish with English subtitles Conceived in Kurdistan, written in Holland and filmed in Greece, A SILENT TRAVELLER tells the story of life in a Kurdish village in South Kurdistan (Iraq), where the endless war between official forces and those fighting for a free Kurdistan leads to divided loyalties, killing and grief, even within families. Anwar Sindi BEFORE DAWN (Berî Roj Hile) Director: Anwar Sindi Cast: Nezar Mama, Birgul Balmer, Parisa Yakobi Denmark 2003 / 87m / Kurdish with English subtitles / 15 Before Dawn follows the life of a young man and his sister through their adult lives under the rule of Saddam and his policy of Kurdish genocide. Events - Anfal, the 1988 Halabja Chemical attack and other atrocities including the control of everyday life - are seen from the level of personal experience, to create a moving and thought-provoking portrait that is more immediate than any documentary. M. Sait Alpaslan DELICATE PAIN (Jana Zirav) Director: M.Sait Alpaslan Cast: Devran Öncel, M.Sait Alpaslan Turkey 2004 / 62m / Kurdish with Turkish subtitles / 15 This film is about Semse Alak who was stoned to death by her family after she was raped. The film is about honour killings and strongly criticises traditions Page: 1
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