The 9th FilmAmed Documentary Film Festival officially opened on Friday evening with a screening of the documentary “Jinwar”. The opening event at the Çand Amed Congress Center attracted several thousand visitors, including representatives of political parties, civil society organizations, and cultural figures.
The festival is organized by the municipalities of Amed (tr. Diyarbakır) and Payas (Kayapınar) district in cooperation with the Middle East Film Academy and the organization “Sanatça.” The focus is on cinematic explorations of memory, history, and social conflicts. This year’s motto is “Roots… True Legends Around the Fire” – a reference to collective memory and oral storytelling traditions. The festival runs until September 30.
Remembering influential voices in Kurdish cinema
Mir Mustafa Baydemir from the Middle East Film Academy, who is also a member of the festival committee, opened the program with a speech in which he emphasized the power of storytelling: “Here we will give space to our stories. FilmAmed brings real life to the screen – far removed from superficial glamour. In doing so, we commemorate personalities such as Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Halil Dağ, and Yılmaz Güney. Their voices remain part of our work.”
Baydemir’s speech was repeatedly interrupted by chants of “Şehîd namirin” [Martyrs are immortal]. He concluded by quoting the poem “Ben geldim” (“I have come”) by journalist and filmmaker Mehmet Aksoy, who was martyred in Raqqa in 2017.
Documentary film as the voice of truth
Berivan Gülşen Sincar of the DEM Party, co-mayor of the Kayapınar district, emphasized the importance of documentary film: “FilmAmed gives hope for the future. This work was realized despite state-imposed trustee administration and a policy of denial. Because if a people’s language, culture, and art are not free, their future cannot be free either. “
Co-mayor Cengiz Dündar also emphasized cultural resistance and thanked all supporting institutions, saying: “Kurdish society has always stood up to decades of assimilation.”
Music, film, and message from Rojava
Kurdish singer Mehmet Atlı provided musical accompaniment. His songs were enthusiastically received by the audience, with many spontaneously joining in. This was followed by a screening of the documentary film Jinwar, named after the women’s village of the same name in northeastern Syria, which was founded after the Rojava Revolution. The film, directed by Nadya Derwîş, shows the everyday life of the women living there, their stories, and the communal construction of the village.
Before the screening, a video message from the director was played. In it, Derwîş said: “Art and cinema give us the opportunity to express ideas, feelings, and experiences. Jinwar is an expression of a place that women have created with their own hands—a space of strength, solidarity, and exchange. We hope to reach women worldwide with this film.”
The audience responded with a long-standing ovation. The first day of the festival ended with the slogan “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” [Woman, Life, Freedom].
Full program until the end of the month
The festival program will continue until next Tuesday. Today, further film screenings, panel discussions, and cultural events are taking place at the Çand Amed Congress Center from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.