Second Istanbul Kurdish Film Festival to kick off on March 24

Mesopotamia Cinema Collective conducted a press conference at the association building in Elmadağ about the 2nd Istanbul Kurdish Film Festival, which will take place between March 24-29. The statement was read out by Adar Taş of the Mesopotamia Cinema Collective, who emphasized the value of art and pointed out that many societies perform and disclose their identities through cinema.

“However, Kurds and communities in similar situations have experienced many challenges.  Many obstacles, ranging from assimilation efforts to material and moral challenges, have prevented the development of Kurdish cinema. This situation continues in various ways. We are aware of the situation as the festival’s organizing group. On this basis, we are organising the second event. In every way, the Kurdish people are engaged in a national battle with their own culture and art. Our hope is to be a spark to this.”

‘WE ARE FACED WITH A HEAVY CENSORSHIP’

Taş noted that the Kurds had difficulty delivering their art to the public and said, “Even if their films are released, they have to go through severe censorship.  We can no longer pretend that Kurdish films can be seen in theatres or that they are uncensored. These issues are still prevalent. As a result, through this festival, we intend to remove as much censorship, restrictions, and constraints as possible from Kurdish cinema. We also want this festival to offer a venue for Kurdish filmmakers to screen their films and present their work to Kurdish viewers and all cinema enthusiasts, and we want to bring our own colour to the globe.”

28 MOVIES WILL BE SCREENED BETWEEN MARCH 24-29

Stating that they could not continue the festival in 2019 due to the coronavirus epidemic, Taş said:

“With the enthusiasm of our first festival still fresh in our minds, we will organize our second festival from March 24-29. We’ve been working on this festival for over 5 months now. We, as the festival committee, have established some criteria for film selection. Without a doubt, all of the films brought to us are significant, and in this regard, we would like to thank all of the directors who send their films to our festival. Our 6-day festival will screen a total of 28 films in the categories of feature films, documentaries, and short films. These films, which have been compiled from throughout the world, will be exhibited mostly with the participation of filmmakers.”

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

Calling for participation in the festival, Adar Taş noted the following:

“The opening film of our festival will be Amasi Martirosyan’s 1933 film ‘Yazidi Kurds’, which has never been presented in Turkey or Kurdistan. In addition to the screening of this film on the festival’s opening day, a concert event will be organized. The filmmakers will discuss Kurdish cinema and its difficulties in a forum to be held within the scope of the festival. As the Istanbul Kurdish Film Festival Committee, we cordially invite filmmakers, moviegoers, and the general public to our festival, which will take place from March 24 to March 29.”