Sulaimani International Film Festival showcases best of Kurdish and world cinema
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – “This is the festival where we wanted to be from the beginning,” French filmmaker Caroline Fourest told the opening ceremony of the fourth Sulaimani International Film Festival (SIFF) on Tuesday. Her film, Sisters in Arms, opened the festival.
The film was inspired by the true stories of international volunteers who joined Kurdish women fighters in the war against the Islamic State (ISIS). For Fourest it was important to bring this story to a Kurdish audience, saying it was “so moving to be here tonight.”
The film also tells the story of the heroism of women fighters and ensures that they and their battles are not lost in the pages of history. “After a war, the world wants to forget,” said Fourest. “But not this time.”
Bringing such films to a Kurdish audience is a highlight, but the festival’s proudest moments come when they are able to showcase the growing number of Kurdish films. In the first edition of the festival there were just two Kurdish-made films on offer. This year there are 44.
Danar Omer, SIFF’s artistic director, says this is a huge accomplishment. “Kurdish films are on the front line for me, the priority,” he told Rudaw English.
“We care about creating Kurdish films – good and bad,” he said. Building a film industry is a gradual process, he added.
This year he is optimistic Kurdish films will make a strong showing against international offerings. “We are hoping for great surprises” when the judges rate the films, he said.
The festival has a history of overcoming hurdles, from financial woes to flight embargoes. In true Kurdistan Region fashion, the power failed several times on opening night, throwing the red carpet photo spots into darkness. But organizers and dignitaries stressed their determination to see the festival survive and thrive.
“We have proven that this is a city of struggle. This is a city that will never give up,” said festival president Mala Bakhtiyar. “The festival will continue and the history of Kurdish cinema will be enriched.”
Bakhtiyar is a prominent official within the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and a frequent patron of the arts.
Sulaimani Governor Haval Abubakir noted the power of film and the universality of the arts. “Old fashioned politics will divide us, but cinema can unite us,” he said.
The theme this year is Earth Cancer, highlighting issues like co-existence and the global climate crisis. Some 150 films from 50 different countries will be screened in seven feature, short, documentary, and animation categories.
Highlights include the documentary ‘The Lament to Hasankeyf’, looking at the inundation of 12,000 years of history as Turkey fills its Ilisu Dam.
The short film ‘Once Upon a Time in Kurdistan’ tells the story of a young girl who plans to have an abortion after being raped.
Check out the full schedule here.
The week-long festival closes with an award ceremony on October 7.