Zagros film festival starts: 'The first online Kurdish film festival'

The Zagros Film Festival started today (March 1).

The festival, where 15 Kurdish films will meet the audience online, will continue throughout March. Among the films that can be watched during the festival are Ali Kemal Çınar's "Gênco" and Aram Dildar's "Navnîşan."

The program also includes the film "Zerê," which is considered one of the first films about Kurds, shown in the early years of the Soviet Union in 1926.

The first online Kurdish film festival

The coordinator of the festival, Simon Suleymani, has a message for the festival audience, summarized as follows:

"Dear art lovers, cinema enthusiasts, and friends of Kurdish culture from all around the world; welcome to the Zagros Film Festival, a unifying artistic event that transcends boundaries, geographies, and languages. As the first online Kurdish film festival, this event offers a unique opportunity to showcase the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Kurdistan and the power of cinema to a global audience.

"The 2024 selection of the Zagros Film Festival features 15 original films bearing the signatures of esteemed directors. These films come from various regions of Kurdistan and are shot in different dialects of Kurdish. The festival, which will also feature the first film about Kurds, Çimen (Grass), and the second film, Zerê, highlights the rich legacy and future perspectives of Kurdish cinema, tracing its journey from the past to the present.

"A United Kurdistan"

"Cinema and the online world offer more than just an artistic and expressive outlet for the Kurdish people; they have the power to bring together a community divided by challenges and boundaries around a common identity and culture. This festival brings Kurds from around the world and anyone interested in Kurdish culture together, transcending imposed boundaries and should be seen as a step towards overcoming imposed boundaries, uniting and integrating Kurds.

"Let us come together in a common language and understanding through our boundary-crossing films. Let us take steps together towards a more understanding, united, and peaceful Kurdistan and world."

Click here to see and watch the films featured in the festival. /TY/PE)