BATMAN - The theme of Kurdish national unity will come to the fore at the 4th New York Kurdish Film and Culture Festival, which will be held online due to the epidemic this year.
The 4th of the New York Kurdish Film and Culture Festival will be held online this year due to the coronavirus (Kovid-19) outbreak. 40 films will be screened and panels will be organized within the scope of the festival to be held on 13-14-15 November. Traditional Kurdish clothing will also be displayed at the festival.
The opening of the festival will be made with the film "Ah Asuman", which was compiled from the stories of Selahattin Demirtaş, the former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), directed by Ümit Kıvanç. The film Siya Avê, produced by the Mesopotamia Agency (MA), will be screened for the first time with its English subtitled version at the festival, which was organized with the theme of "Kurdish National Union and Peace" and dedicated to Selahattin Demirtaş this year.
INCOME WILL BE DONATED TO HEYVA SOR A KURDİSTANÊ
At the festival where films of directors such as Sahim Omar Kalifa, Lukman Ahmad, Numan Yiğit and Hebun Polat will be screened, drawings of Azad Jannati and works of Mirza Metin such as 'Kurdish Resistance and Fire Dramaturgy' will be displayed. Also some talks will be held at the festival. The work of Hivron Turanlı donated to the festival will be available to purchase and the income will be donated to Heyva Sor a Kurdistanê.
POLITICAL PRISONERS
Xeyal Qertel, one of the founders and coordinator of the festival, stated that how the films will be watched and the details of the program will be announced via social media accounts in the near future. Qertel explained why they dedicated the festival to Selahattin Demirtaş and said: "We would like to draw attention to the political prisoners and to announce it to the world in our eyes. Demirtaş is a symbolic name to explain the situation of the political prisoners. Therefore we will kick off with a film adapted from his story."
EMPHASIS ON NATIONAL UNITY
Stating that the Kurds need solidarity more than ever, Qertel stated that they chose the theme of "Kurdish National Unity and Peace" to draw attention to the importance of national unity. Qertel said, "The war against the Kurds, intensified by the Syrian civil war, continues today. While continuing the war, they are trying to tear us apart. Therefore, the unity and brotherhood between the Kurds should be more important than ever in this period. Therefore the first 3 thousand dolars will be donated to a non governmental organization engaged in humanitarian work.Qertel added that all programs can be attended for $ 10 per day.
MA / Metin Yoksu