KURDISH DIRECTORS
There are a number of Kurdish director from different countries whose artistic work draw
international attention and win major prizes at international film festivals. Below is the list of some
of the most known Kurdish directors.
Yilmaz Guney
The most famoust Kurdish film director who died in 1984 in France. He has
lots of feature films but the most popular ones are; ‘Seyitxan’, ‘Arkadas’
(Friend), Endise (Anxiety), Umut (Hope), ‘Yol’ (The Road), ‘Suru’ (The Herd)
and ‘Duvar’ (The Wall).
Bahman Ghobad
A director from Iranian Kurdistan. Ghobadi has four feature films until now.
These are ‘A Time For Drunken Horses’, ‘Marooned in Iraq-Songs of My
Motherland’, ‘Turtles Can Fly’ and Half Moon. Last year Ghobadi has been
chosen ‘one of the best living 100 director’ in the world.
Kazim Oz
A Kurdish director from Turkey. Oz has one short film, one documentary and
one feature film. These are ‘Ax’ (short film), ‘Photograph’ and ‘Dur’
(documentary).
Hiner Saleem
A Kurdish director from South Kurdistan. He has four feature films. ‘Long
live the Bride-Liberation of Kurdistan’, ‘Beyond our Dreams’, ‘Vodka-Lemon’
and ‘Zero Kilometre’.
Jalal Jonroy
A Kurdish writer-director, living in America. His first feature film is ‘David and
Layla’ which has been invited to 23. Jerusalem Film Festival in
2006.
A self-tought Kurdish filmmaker: Jano Rosebiani
KurdishCinema.com – January 12 2009
Biogrophy of Jano Rosebiani
A self-taught Kurdish filmmaker, born and raised
in the town of Zakho in Southren Kurdistan. In
1974, then a seventh-grader, he along with his
family joined the Kurdish mass uprising against
Saddam’s regime and took to the mountains. Two
years later he became a refugee in the Untied
States.
Rosebiani acquired his knowledge of film making
during his college years Virginia in the mid
1980s while studying English literature and
managing movie theaters. He started his
career at a public access television where he
made experimental videos, including a madefor-TV drama and a weekly arts series, which
received the Hometown, USA prize in 1985 as
well as numerous local awards.
In 1995 he made his feature film debut in Los Angeles with “Dance of the Pendulum” – a
dark comedy parodying exploitation in Hollywood.
“Jiyan” (Life) is his first Kurdish film made in 2002, intended
to be a window to the world for the Kurds. The film received
high critical acclaim, including four-star ratings by The
Guardian, The Observer and BBC World, and became a
festival favorite, garnering numerous awards. Since the
liberation of Iraq in 2003 Rosebiani has produced three
documentaries depicting human rights abuses in the
country under the past regimes. Among his most recent
work is an American style sitcom series pilot “Radyo Qela”
(Radio Citadel) set in the Kurdish regional capital of Hewlér.
Since 2003 Rosebiani has contributed to the empowerment of the Kurdish cinema by giving
annual filmmaking workshops to inspiring filmmakers. A total of 60 short films have been
produced in these workshops, many of which have played in world festivals.
Filmography:
* Dance of the Pendulum – Feature film 1995
* Jiyan (Life) – Feature film 2002
* Saddam’s Mass graves – Documentary 2003
* Chemical Ali (producer) – Documentary 2004
* WMD (Co-producer) – Documentary 2004
* Radyo Qela (Radio Citadel) – Sitcom series 2007
Awards for Jiyan:
* Special Jury Award – New Director’s Showcase, Seattle International Film
Festival 2002
* Best film Award – International Film Festival Festroia 2002. Setubal, Portugal
* Popular Jury Award – Rights to Have Rights Film Festival 2003. Modena, Italy
* In The Spirit of Freedom Award – 19th Jerusalem Film Festival 2002
* Official Selection for Tiger Competition – International Film Festival Rotterdam
2002
o
Yusuf Yesilo
Living in Switzerland, Yesilgoz has directed “Between the Worlds” which
won the best documentary awards at Innsbruck Film Festival in Austria in
2006. Yesiloz has also two other documentaries ‘Fasting to Topple Walls’
and ‘Alevit Songs’. His has completed a new documentary about some
musicians living in Switzerland, called “Musikliebe” (Love of Music), in 2007.
Jamil Rostami
A Kurdish director from Iran. He has directed several films included
Requiem of Snow in 2005. Rostami currently filming Jan-i Gal (The Agony
of a People) in Kurdistan Region of Irak.
Said Kekeyi
He made a docu-drama called “Waiting for Hiwa” which deals with the Halabja massacre, in
2002.
Aras Rashid
A Kurdish director from South Kurdistan based in Sweden. His feature film “The Burning
Paradise” shot in 1999.
Hussein Hassan Ali
He was born in Duhok in 1974. Hasan Ali started to do children
programmes in a local television and shot video clips for different artisists
and singers. He shot a number of short film, Narcissus Blossoom, (U
Nergis Biskivin) his first feature film which Ali directed with Massoud Arif
Saleeh.
Massoud Arif Saleeh
Born in Duhok in 1973 Saleeh started theatrical work when he was just 10
years old. Then Saleeh started to work in some local tv. stations. He is the
co-director of Narcissus Blossom, (U Nergis Biskivin).
Lauand O
A young Kurdish writer, director and producer who is directed “Bekhal’s
Tears” (Firmiski Bexal) in 2005 in Iraqi Kurdistan. Omar now is woking on
his next project called
Ayse Polat
Born in 1970 in the Kurdish city of Malatya in Turkey, Polat currently resides
in Germany. Polat shot a several short films such as Fremdennacht (The
Night of Foreigner-1992), Ein Fest für Beyhau (A Fist for Beyhou-1993) ve
Gräfin Sofia Hatun (Mrs Barones Sofia-1997) Her first feature film
Auslandstournee (Trip out of Country-1999) won young talent award in
Ankara Film Festival. Polat’s last feature En Garde-2004 won special prizes
at Hamburg ve Locarno film festivals.
Yuksel Yavuz
Yavuz born in 1964 in the Kurdish city of Bingol, and moved to Germany
when he was 16 years old. He studied at Hamburg Fine Arts School
between 1992-1998. Yazuz’s won the best documentary award with his first
short film ‘My Father a Guess Worker” in 1995. Yavuz shot his first feature
‘The April Children’ in 1998 and and won special awards at Salemo adn
San Francisco Film Festivals.
Jiyar Gol
Born in Eastern Kurdistan, Gol lives in Canada since 1998. He owns Jiyar Productions Inc. and
has produced several documentaries until now including; ‘Liberation of Occupation? A Passage
Through Iraq-2004′, ‘The Emblem Of Turkey. The Kurdish Problem,’ ‘The Struggle For Justice;
Leyla Zana’: Leyla Zana a Kurdish Parliamentarian who was imprisoned for 11 years for simply
speaking Kurdish in the Turkish National Assembly. Gol graduated at Vancouver Film School
majoring in Documentary Filmmaking.
Rahim Zabihi
Zahibi is a young Kurdish director from eastern Kurdistan and still lives in Iran. He made his first
feature film last year called ‘Roja Duyemin’ (Second Day). Zahibi also shot several short films and
invited to some film festivals.
Sirin Cihani
She is from Eastern Kurdistan and currently shootint her first feature ‘Stêrk
di nav rojê de bêreng in’ (The stars do not have colurs during daylight).
Cihani has also shot several documentaries including the one that tells the
life of famous Kurdish poets Siware Ilxanizade and Jila Huseyni.
Özay Sahin
She was born in the city of Dersim in Northern Kurdistan and currently lives
in Germany. Sahin made an excellent documentary called ‘Can Baz’ which
tells tragedy of three Kurdish boys on of them is addictive to tiner. She also
writes scenerios and invited to several film festival in Europe and Turkey.
Arin Inan Arslan
Born in the city of Dersim and now living in Izmir Arslan is a young Kurdish
talent who made two short films called ‘Kirinti’ (Crumb-2004) ve ‘Si u Ba’
(Shadow and Wind-2006). Arslan received special jury awards at 16.
Ankara International Film Festival and 26. IFSAK Festival. Arslan also won
Yilmaz Güney best film award in 1. TKM Short Film Festival by his first short
film.
Müjde Arslan
Young Kurdish woman director born in the city of Mardin in northern
Kürdistan Müjde lives in Istanbul. She shot her first short film ‘Son Oyun’
(Last Game-2005) and won best picture award in Marmara University Short
Film Festival. She is currently workin on her next project ‘Kemik’ (Bone).
Nazmi Kirik
The famous Kurdish actor born in Diyarbakir in 1976. Kirik has shot his first
short film ‘Kimlik’ (Identity-2006) and has already been invited to 43. Antalya
Golden Orange Film Festival’s short film competition section. Kirik took
important roles in the films of Photograph, Journey to the Sun, Zero
Kilometre, Dole (Hiner Saleem’s latest feature) and Organized Businesses
(directed by famous Kurdish director Yilmaz Erdogan).
Caner Canerik
Born in the city of Dersim in 1973, Canerik lives in Istanbul. Canerik shoots
mainly short films and documentaries such as “The War Game” (short film\
1999), “The Palace” (documentary, 2000-2002), “The Story” (short film,
2003), “The German Shovel” (documentary, 2005)\ “Gül-i Zare”
(documentary, not finished yet), “The Weed” (documentary, 2006), “Eyüp
Sultan” (documentary, 2006), “The top of yellow is Düzgün” (documentary ,
2006), “Two fishes, for people” (short film , 2007) and “Sayd” (documentary,
2007).
Hiwa Aminnejad
Hiwa Aminnejad was born in 1973 in Baneh, Kurdistan, Iran from a Kurdish
middle class family. He obtained a diploma in Film Direction at the
Association of Cinema for Youth in Tabriz. From 1998 to 2001, he practiced
photography and participated in several national photos exhibitions. In
2001, he made his first short film “ Parasite”. “Atesh e Kebrit” won the “Best
Picture” award at “Esfahan International Film Festival for Youth and Young
Adults”. “Agar do bare harf bezanam” was selected among 20 films for the
Retrospective of Contemporary Iranian Films in Berlin in 2004. “Afsoon” was selected for the “Hull
Short Film Festival in London”. “Hannabadan e dictator” was shot in Kurdistan, Iraq in 2005.
(kanifilms.com)
Fethi Evar
Fethi Evari is a theatre graduate from the Fine Arts Institute in Duhok,
Kurdistan. In addition to a number of theatrical plays, he has directed some
short films and one feature length including
The White Page (2007, short) which was shown at 37. Rotterdam
International Film Festival.
Shaxawan Idree
Shaxawan Idrees started as a journalist working with various Kurdish
newspapers. He directed a short film titled “We Have Gasoline”. Idrees
currently works as production manager at the Cinema Department of the
Ministry of Culture in Kurdistan.
Mehdi Hese
Mehdi Hesen is a theater graduate from the Fine Arts Institute in Erbil and
currently works as director for Kurdistan satellite TV. He made a short film
titled “Water” (2007) which was received the Yilmaz Guney Bronze award at
the London Kurdish Film Festival in 2007.
Zirek Mir
Zîrek Mira is a graduate of sculpting at the Suliemani Fine Arts Institute in
Kurdistan. He makes experimental and symbolic short films. One of them
is a short film shot in 2007, titled “Searching for God”. He is known for his
innovative experimental sculptures, some of which captured international
attention. Among his most daring works was a giant statue of Saddam
made entirely by dead soldier’s boots in 2003. Inspired by Bunuel’s and
Dali’s “Dogs of Andalusia” he began making experimental and symbolic
short films. “Searching for God” is his second such film, which may best be
described as an extension of his statue of boots in theme and irony.
“Breath” (Henase) is the directors another short film which is a piece of
artistry about life’s continuation despite oppression, symbolizing the
Kurdish resilience in the face of tyranny
Sahim Omar Kalif
He was born in 1980 in Zakho, Kurdistan. Kalifa shot his first film when he
was 17 years old. In 2001 he moved to Belgium and studied at St Lukas
film School in 2004 in Brussels. Until now Omer Kalifa has shot 14 short
films. His film “Ava Reş” (Black Water) won the jury award in Melbourne
Kurdish film festival in Australia in 2007.
Kurdish director, writer and actor: Ibrahim Selman
KurdishCinema.com – January 16 2009
Ibrahim Selman, a Kurdish director living in Holland, born
in 1952 in Iraqi Kurdistan. As well as directing films Selman
writes screenplays.
Cinematography
1978 – “Think an end of this performance”, writer, director
and actor, short TV-film.
1991 – “Three figures of a mountain man who desire to
become a seal”, short feature film 38m, screenwriter and
actor
1993 – “A silent traveller”, long feature film, screenwriter
and director
1995/now: Director of about 80 short films”,
(non-broadcast film).
2008 – “Omet”, long feature film, producer, director, actor,
screenwriter and editor
Synopsis of “Omet”
The screenwriter Yaro flees together with his wife Hale
from Iraq to the Netherlands in the hope of making a
movie about a boy called Temo. Temo, a ten year old boy
had (in real life) survived a massacre in the desert of Iraq.
Temo looks like Yaro’s missing small brother Miro. Yaro’s
attempts, during twelve years, to make a film ended with no
results. Finally he meets Els, a young employee of a film
production company. He falls in love with her and his hope
to realise his film grows, but he also gets a lot of problems
with his wife. Beside these problems, they already had
some like don’t having children. Hale doesn’t know that she can’t get children with Yaro. He
knows about his handicap but doesn’t tell her. He even blames her for this. Hale tries to find out
why she never gets pregnant. When she discovers the truth, that Yaro is cause of their
childlessness, she takes revenge. The loneliness in their
lives is a huge. They can’t live with each other but also not
without each other. A bitter, poetical and humour full affair
follows, shadowed by the ghosts of his dead father, Temo
and his missing small brother Miro.
Ibrahims Selman’s Curriculum Vitae, short
1972 – 1980 Actor, director and writer Kurdish program’s
state broadcast, Baghdad
1976 – Bachelor of Dramatic Arts in acting, Baghdad
1980 – Fear, Solo performance Writer, director and actor
Suffering of a madman, play.
1981 – In the Netherlands
1982 – Play ‘Fear’, Writer, director
1982-1985 Study since of Theatre University of
Amsterdam, doctoral degree
1985-1988 Professor since of theatre University of
Amsterdam
1985-1987 Solo performance: Between two Paradises, text and acting
1987 – Mem and Zin, play
1988 – The eternal officer, play, Writer, director and actor
1990 -1995 policymaker ministry of Welfare and Culture
1995/now: Artistic advisor, Program director of Audio
Visual services Dutch ministry of defence
1988/now: Freelance journalist
Bibliography
1979 – Mine, short story bundle in Kurdish, Baghdad
1979 – A fool changes the epic of Mem and Zin, play in
Kurdish, Bagdad.
1987 – Mem and Zin, Play, Theatre bookshop
1998 – The dance of a frozen country, poems in Dutch, De
Geus
2000 – And the sae split in two, novel in Dutch,
Indeknipscheer
2000 – Freedom is dead, poems in Dutch, Indeknipscheer
2002 – I thought about the coconut, novel in Dutch,
Indeknipscheer
2006 – Tender souls, novel in Dutch, Prometheus
2007 – Looking for brave heart, essays and poems in Dutch, Meuelnhoff
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