ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The online Zagros Film Festival kicked off its second edition earlier this week, showing movies, which promote Kurdish culture and heritage, to a global audience, said the organizer.
The festival, which began on Saturday lasting for one month, aims to showcase the stories and struggles of the Kurdish people, reflecting their experiences across various regions, divided by borders.
Simon Suleymani, coordinator of the festival and the president of the Paris Kurdish Filmmakers Association (KOSI) spoke to Rudaw English on Monday about the objectives of the event, highlighting the ongoing discrimination and systemic oppression faced by Kurds in various regions, particularly regarding their right to express their identity and freedom to use their mother tongue.
“We wanted to create a space where Kurds could experience cinema in their own language, free from the fear of political persecution and the suffocating pressure of authoritarian regimes. The digital nature of the festival allows Kurds from all parts of Kurdistan - as well as those who have sought refuge across the world - to watch films together as if they were in the same cinema hall,” Suleymani noted.
Kurds believe that Greater Kurdistan is divided into four parts, which include Kurdistan Region in Iraq (Bashur), western Iran (Rojhelat), southeast Turkey (Bakur) and northeast Syria (Rojava).
The second objective of the festival is to introduce Kurdish cinema to an international audience by ensuring that English subtitles are available for all films.
The films are available online on the website for everyone to enjoy until the end of February.
“This festival not only shares the beauties and challenges of Kurdish cinema but also provides a platform for Kurdish filmmakers to connect their work with a global audience,” Suleymani stated on the festival's website regarding the event.
The festival follows an annual theme of showcasing and highlighting Kurdish artists from different regions. This year, the main focus is on introducing directors and stories from Rojhalat. Among the 20 films featured in the festival, eight are by filmmakers from that part of Greater Kurdistan.
“This year, our attention turns to Rojhilat, highlighting the economic hardships imposed by artificial borders and the tragic plight of Kurdish kolbars—laborers who risk their lives traversing the high, snow-covered mountains of Kurdistan. Kurdistan is a land defined by both suffering and resistance, and our festival seeks to bear witness to that reality,” Sulaymani added.
He also said that online panels will be held with an audience, allowing Kurds around the world to engage in events which might be banned at home.
Suleymani stated that last year's edition, which featured the Rojava theme, was warmly received by the audience, attracting 173,000 visitors.
“This year, our goal is to reach 300,000,” he said.
This year, one of the featured films is "The 7 Symphonies of Zagros" by Parviz Rostami - a documentary exploring the philosophy of the seven musical Maqams of the Shamshal, the oldest wind instrument, and its significance in the lives of the people of Zagros.
The film has received several prestigious awards, including Best Independent Film in Indigenous Culture at the Serbian Anthropological Documentary Film Festival in 2022, along with multiple honors in Iran.
