Yol Jalal Jonroy - New York, 2002
prison (via his assistant). "The most surprising thing about Yol is its non-reliance on dialog to make its points. It is an overwhelming visual film that renders everything…in images so elemental that they have an almost expressionist power. Even in jail, Guney thought in images- as if he felt that words could never be enough. His film argued for revolutionary change with superb visual rhetoric." [Film- The Critics Choice, Editor: Geoff Andrew. The Ivy Press, 2001.] The ‘change’ refers to the oppression of some 20 million Kurds by Turkey, a ruthless oppression which continues to this date, including the destruction of over 3000 Kurdish ancient villages, a colossal crime against humanity and the echo-balanced environment and rural life of Kurdistan, not to mention its ancient arts and crafts. This massive crime is largely unreported and un-protested as it is overshadowed by exclusive preoccupation with Saddam's Iraq and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Ironically because Northern Kurdistan is still under Turkish rule (annexed to modern Turkey in the1920’s by Nazi-like force of Turkish Supremacist General Kemal Ataturk) Yilmaz Guney and Yol are often mistakenly described as Turkish. Poor Guney would shudder in his grave! Guney was not only Kurdish but had been sentenced for over 100 years by Turkey, mostly for his Kurdish nationalism. He escaped Turkish prison and finished Yol in Europe. (Was not Yol the first Middle Eastern film ever to win the prestigious Palm d’Or in 1982 at Cannes Film festival?) Guney settled in exile in Paris where he continued to make striking films, such as ‘The Wall’. A Turkish director at New York’s MoMA Film Festival called Kurdish language a "dialect" of Turkish! That’s as accurate as a German claiming French is a dialect of German language had Germany succeeded in annexing France for 85 years as modern Turkey has annexed northern Kurdistan for last 85 years. Distinct European languages share same Biblical words and names- as Kurdish, Turkish and Persian share Arabic Quran. Guney is one of the founders of Institut Kurde de Paris. Today most of this Institute’s treasures of Kurdish history, literature, poetry, and music would be banned in Kurdistan proper divided and ruled by Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Wim Wender’s (noted German director) documentary about original directors showed Guney only as a tape recorder! Turkish secret agents were ordered to capture or assassinate Guney. Sadly, Guney passed away of cancer (when he was under 50). He was honorably buried in Pere la Chaise (with Chopin et al) in Paris. Yol and all his Kurdish films were banned in Turkey for over 20 years. His wife says that dozens of master prints of Guney’s films were destroyed or made to disappear by Turkish authorities. Yet a few years ago Turkey finally decided to claim & celebrate deceased Guney as a master "Turkish" director! A Turkish government controlled Yilmaz Guney Foundation was set up in Istanbul. But such is Turkish’s deep racist Kurdophobia that some Guney films are robbed of their Kurdishness. For example the crucial subtitle ‘KURDISTAN’ in the moving scene when one of the protagonist descends the bus and kisses his homeland is censored in this Foundation’s prints. (The London Kurdish Film Festival had to replace this paid-for circumcised print by an original print from BFI.) Most Turks are yet to be allowed to see the complete ‘Yol’ and his ‘The Wall’ in which on a prison wall is written in the blood of a tortured prisoner, "Biji Kurdistan- Long Live Kurdistan". Turks are deprived by their government censors of Guney’s underlying theme: Turkey’s insanely cruel repression of Kurds and Kurdistan. To this date, the words Kurd and Kurdistan are banned or missing even from the press release, literature and all cultural activities from Turkey even from free Turks living in the multi-ethnic international city of New York! http://www.newrozfilms.com/yol.htm Jonroy's other articles A monument to human endurance Suspension of disbelief Why write? |
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