A documentary about the flooding of the ancient city of Hasankeyf was screened in Basel.

The screening of the documentary “Heskîf” about the millenary city of Hasankeyf (Heskîf) by director Elif Yiğit, was organized by the Bern Climate Strike (Klimastreik), the Mesopotamia Ecology Movement and the Democratic Kurdish Society Center (CDK).

“Heskîf” was screened in the Reitschule movie theater.

The documentary focuses on the extent of the loss of the people of the region. Not only their homes, but also their livelihoods and memories after the construction of the dam.

Before the screening, Bern Climate Strike and Mesopotamia Ecology Movement activists made a presentation to the audience.

Mesopotamia Ecology Movement activist Tuncay Ok pointed out that the dam project, which paved the way for the flooding of Hasankeyf, has a history dating back 60 years.

Ok said that this project destroys the twelve-thousand-year old city and its history.

Ok added that cultural genocide and ecological destruction aims at destroying the history of Kurdish and Kurdistan. “This cultural genocide is not limited to Hasankeyf. The Turkish state continues to destroy the livelihoods of people, animals and nature by building dozens of dams in Northern Kurdistan.”

Touching upon the destruction targeting the ecological structure in Kurdistan and the historical texture of Kurdistan, Ok talked about the state policies that force the people of the region to migrate.

After the presentations, “Heskîf” was screened.

Proceeds from the documentary screening will be donated to Heyva Sor to be delivered to the victims of the earthquake in North Kurdistan, Turkey and Syria.