“Hêza”, the story of the Yazidi people and a Yazidi woman whose life changed completely after the genocide on 3 August 2014 in Shengal, was awarded by the Boden International Film Festival as best documentary.
The documentary “Hêza” by director and producer Derya Deniz was awarded best documentary at the Boden International Film Festival. The music was composed by Mehmud Berazi. The film was shot by Şaristan Mahîr, Aza Boran, Afat Baz and Îbrahim Sedî. The preparation of the documentary took about a year and the camera followed the traces of Heza, covering a territory stretching from Shengal to North East Syria and Raqqa.
The story of Hêza
The documentary tells the story of Hêza, a Yazidi woman who was enslaved during the ISIS attack on Shengal on 3 August 2014. The film shows what Hêza went through at the hands of ISIS, how she managed to escape and how she continued her life after escaping.
Hêza is a living witness of the genocide and the film also shows her own pain, suffering and struggle for justice. The story is actually the story of all women who were kidnapped, enslaved, murdered, driven to suicide, and eventually managed to walk free.
Hêza was taken to Raqqa after she was kidnapped by ISIS. She tried to commit suicide many times until she managed to escape from the organization, and return to Shengal in 2015. She joined the YJŞ as a Kurdish Yazidi woman and became a commander.
YJŞ Commander Hêza joined the campaign to liberate Raqqa from ISIS around a year later, in 2016. After liberating the city, in 2017, she found and visited the family who helped her to escape free while she was held captive in the city.
