The second edition of the Istanbul Kurdish Film Festival (Festîvala Fîlmên Kurdî ya Stenbolê) organised by the Mesopotamia Cultural Center (MKM) Cinema Collective continued on its 5th day with the Kurdish Cinema Forum and film screenings at Cinemajestik on Istiklal Street.

Monday was dedicated to the forum that focused on the problems faced by Kurdish cinema and filmmakers. Directors and artists from many Kurdish cities attended the forum.

Issues discussed

The technical problems experienced, the pressure lived by the filmmakers, and the censorship applied to the films were discussed at the forum. Emphasizing that the films shot do not belong only to one region, the forum participants said that “when Kurdish films go to international festivals, they are shown as Turkish films or Syrian and Iraqi films. This shouldn't happen. They have to be shown as coming from Kurdistan.”

Films about the struggle are open to self-censorship

Emphasizing that Kurdish cinema is at the beginning of the road, the forum participants stated that the source of the problems stems from the fact that it does not have an "official status". It was emphasized that Kurdish filmmakers should not fall into the trap of "self-censorship" because they are talking about the struggle going on in Kurdistan.

After the forum, the documentary film "Nanî Pîroz" directed by Rahim Zabihi was screened at Cinemajestik. The film is about the lives of people who have to smuggle to support their families. The documentary film “Heskîf” directed by Elif Yiğit was also screened. This documentary is about the 12 thousand-year-old site of Hasankeyf being flooded by the Ilısu Dam and the lives of the people living there.