Kurdish Film Festival opens in Düsseldorf with symbol of Women’s resistance

The festival will be held in the cinemas Ufa Palast Düsseldorf and Metropol Düsseldorf.

The program includes 3 feature films, 8 documentaries, and 17 short films. Three films are from Rojava, 11 from Northern Kurdistan, 5 from Eastern Kurdistan, and 7 from Southern Kurdistan, in addition to 3 international entries.

Serhat Holako, the member of the festival’s preparatory committee, stated that preparations for this year’s edition coincided with ongoing attacks on Rojava. “In recognition of the resistance in Rojava, the festival will open with a film from the region,” he said.

The opening film will be “Birako Heval” (90 minutes). Also representing Rojava are the short film “Ye Me Rûmeta Rojava” (“Rojava is Our Dignity”) and the documentary “Hemo”.

This year’s symbol features the braid of a revolutionary woman facing the map of Kurdistan. Holako noted that during the resistance in Rojava, a revolutionary woman’s braid was cut, and it later became a symbol of resistance.

 “We chose the image of a woman whose braid represents resistance, with her face directed toward the map of Kurdistan,” he added.

The films and documentaries address themes such as the Rojava revolution, the kolbars (cross-border porters) in East Kurdistan, the ban on the Kurdish language, pressure by the Turkish state on Kurdish cities, displacement from Northern Kurdistan, and restrictions on Kurdish music. Most works focus on the realities of Kurdish society.

A short film competition will be held, awarding four prizes—one for a film from each part of Kurdistan. Four honorary awards will also be presented for feature films.

Holako concluded that the festival has become one of the most important platforms for promoting Kurdish cinema and gathering Kurdish artists. He added: “Films from the four parts of Kurdistan are produced amid war, hardship, and persecution. We call on the Kurdish people to participate in the festival.”

ANHA