INTERNATIONAL KURDISH CINEMA CONFERENCE - Diyarbakır Sanat Merkezi

INTERNATIONAL KURDISH CINEMA CONFERENCE

December 4-13, 2009

Cinema Film Screening Talk

Place: Avrupa Movie Theater, Kayapınar Municipality Cegerxwîn Culture and Art Center Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Theatre Hall

The International Kurdish Cinema Conference, organized by the Diyarbakır Arts Center in partnership with Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality with the support of the General Consulate of Sweden, was held during a period when Kurdish cinema was gaining increased visibility worldwide. Featuring lively discussions, film screenings, and film readings, the conference was attended by academicians, directors, and filmmakers from various parts of the world. The conference consisted of two sessions, one methodological and one thematic, which examined Kurdish cinema in a conceptual framework accompanied by detailed analyses of impactful examples. This comprehensive event opened up the debates and evaluations on “Kurdish cinema” which had previously been held in conjunction with some European festivals to discussion and marked the first time that such a discussion had taken place on this scale in Diyarbakır, the city where rich debates on the topic occur and attract significant attention from the audience.

International Kurdish Cinema Conference

Half Moon Film Screening and Reception

Place: Avrupa Movie Theater

Film Days and Film Readings: Di 6 Erdnîgariyê De 6 Fîlm/ 6 Geographies 6 Films

Film Days and Film Readings: Di 6 Erdnîgariyê De 6 Fîlm/ 6 Geographies 6 Films

The films Half Moon (Bahman Qubadi), Min Dît (Miraz Bêzar), Herman (Hısen Hesên Elî), A Little Bit of Freedom (Yüksel Yavuz), David & Layla (Jalal Jonroy), and Kilomètre zéro (Hîner Saleem) were screened within the scope of the event held under the title 6 Geographies 6 Films December 4-11. After the film screenings, film readings were held with the participation of the director of the films and film critics.

Place: Avrupa Movie Theater, Kayapınar Municipality Cegerxwîn Culture and Art Center

Methodological Session: Wek Pirsek Sînemaya Kurd/ Kurdish Cinema as a Question

Methodological Session: Wek Pirsek Sînemaya Kurd/ Kurdish Cinema as a Question

In the first session titled "Kurdish Cinema as a Question", the discussion centered around the efforts to create a distinct Kurdish cinema based on multiculturalism and transnationalism by breaking away from national cinemas. The points at which directors distinguish themselves from dominant cinematic conventions and the intersections of these distinctions with Kurdish films produced in other geographical regions were explored. The possibility of these cinematic processes and characteristics contributing to a Kurdish film language fueled by multiculturalism was debated. Additionally, the session addressed Kurdish cinema and its challenges within the realm of filmmaking in terms of social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions.

Speakers: Hîner Saleem, Hisên Hesen Elî, Hîşam Zaman, Miraz Bêzar, Mustafa Gündoğdu (Moderator)
Place: Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Theatre Hall

Thematic Session: Bicihkirina Sînemaya Kurd/ Positioning Kurdish Cinema

The second session, held under the title "Positioning Kurdish Cinema," delved into the elements that define the unique identity of Kurdish cinema. Participants explored the recent history of Kurdish cinema through its visually and narratively distinctive language that provides its unique character.

Speakers: Jalal Jonroy, Yüksel Yavuz, Tim Kennedy, Hamid Dabaşi, Ayça Çiftçi, Devrim Kılıç (Moderator)
Place: Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Theatre Hall