Kurdish filmmakers caught in ‘chess game’ of power, war, censorship
DUHOK, Kurdistan Region – The history of cinema has been closely tied to the history of war, but while Kurdistan has a lot of experience with conflict, its filmmakers have struggled to bring that to the screen, experts argued at the Duhok International Film Festival (DIFF).
"Since the beginning of cinema, we're showing the movies on war," said Professor Kristian Feigelson during a panel discussion titled Filmmaking in War Time.
Fiegelson is president of DIFF’s world cinema jury and a professor in Sociology of Cinema and Audiovisual Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
He traced films through history, looking at how American “created a new kind of hero” in the 1930’s and 40’s with the cowboys and Indians genre.
During World War II, film began to be used as a tool for resistance.
"Directors tried to show the absurdity of the Second World War," he said. "I should say that film directors started following social sensitivity about war."
Filmmaking and newsreels continued with the anti-war theme when the Vietnam War began in the mid-1950s. Many believe the uncensored coverage provided valuable information to the Vietnamese and ultimately to the defeat of US troops.
During the French Colonial War in Algeria, which took place between the 1950's and 1960's, censorship began to play a large role in cinema, especially in France.
"Images were censored in France where it showed the resistance of the Algerian participants against the French colonial army," he said.
Censorship in Europe became more common when the first Gulf War began in 1991.
"At that time television was very important and powerful and because of the military censorship, we in Europe were unable to watch any images of the Gulf war,” he explained.
“So the relationship between war and cinema is very complicated.”
The complications are multiplied in Kurdistan.
"We are a small area that is really dominated by warlords, by dictators, corruption, religious differences, local and regional powers so it's a huge chess game and Kurdish filmmakers are in the middle of this," said Kurdish filmmaker Jano Rojbeyani (Rosebiani).
"Can a Kurdish filmmaker try not to take sides, try to look at it from outside and try to deliver a message in its true entirety?" he asked, pointing out that it is a fine line between telling a story and producing propaganda.
The best movies about war usually come 20 to 30 years after the conflict, he posited.
Rojbeyani produced the first Kurdish film in Kurdistan – the 2001 film "Jiyan" that tells the story of the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja.
"It was a two-sided challenge,” he said of the making of the film.
“First the making, we never have enough money to make it on par with Hollywood films or backing. Two, there are the other political issues," he said.
At the time, there were not even cameras or professional lighting available. The cameras had to be smuggled into the country and the lighting was the product of a lot of creativity.
The situation is better today, but the fledgling industry still faces major challenges, primarily funding.
"With the war against ISIS, the Kurdish government couldn't support cinema and it became a big problem for filmmakers," said Babaker Dreyi, Minister of Culture and Arts in Sulaimani.
"We could have made over 100 films on this topic. ISIS was a good opportunity for us to make films, but again we couldn't do this because of the budget," he said, adding that foundations should be created to support the industry.
Without funding from inside the country, many of the Kurdish films being produced come from abroad. The result is that the Kurdish point of view is not told.
"I saw a film yesterday with many great actors from Duhok, but it was made from Germany,” said Rojbeyani. “I appreciate that, it's great. But the Kurds cannot make films so we have to have other people come make our films and show their perspective.”
Once films are made, there is not the expertise or networks to get the movies to a wide audience.
"We get a pat on the back at festivals, but we're not making money because we are not marketing our films," said Rojbeyani.
"We need to bring Kurdish filmmakers from all over the world here, have these panel discussions and we make guidelines and talk to the government and create that foundation."
DIFF runs through Saturday. Rudaw is a media partner.
"Since the beginning of cinema, we're showing the movies on war," said Professor Kristian Feigelson during a panel discussion titled Filmmaking in War Time.
Fiegelson is president of DIFF’s world cinema jury and a professor in Sociology of Cinema and Audiovisual Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
He traced films through history, looking at how American “created a new kind of hero” in the 1930’s and 40’s with the cowboys and Indians genre.
During World War II, film began to be used as a tool for resistance.
"Directors tried to show the absurdity of the Second World War," he said. "I should say that film directors started following social sensitivity about war."
Filmmaking and newsreels continued with the anti-war theme when the Vietnam War began in the mid-1950s. Many believe the uncensored coverage provided valuable information to the Vietnamese and ultimately to the defeat of US troops.
During the French Colonial War in Algeria, which took place between the 1950's and 1960's, censorship began to play a large role in cinema, especially in France.
"Images were censored in France where it showed the resistance of the Algerian participants against the French colonial army," he said.
Censorship in Europe became more common when the first Gulf War began in 1991.
"At that time television was very important and powerful and because of the military censorship, we in Europe were unable to watch any images of the Gulf war,” he explained.
“So the relationship between war and cinema is very complicated.”
The complications are multiplied in Kurdistan.
"We are a small area that is really dominated by warlords, by dictators, corruption, religious differences, local and regional powers so it's a huge chess game and Kurdish filmmakers are in the middle of this," said Kurdish filmmaker Jano Rojbeyani (Rosebiani).
"Can a Kurdish filmmaker try not to take sides, try to look at it from outside and try to deliver a message in its true entirety?" he asked, pointing out that it is a fine line between telling a story and producing propaganda.
The best movies about war usually come 20 to 30 years after the conflict, he posited.
Rojbeyani produced the first Kurdish film in Kurdistan – the 2001 film "Jiyan" that tells the story of the 1988 chemical attack on Halabja.
"It was a two-sided challenge,” he said of the making of the film.
“First the making, we never have enough money to make it on par with Hollywood films or backing. Two, there are the other political issues," he said.
At the time, there were not even cameras or professional lighting available. The cameras had to be smuggled into the country and the lighting was the product of a lot of creativity.
The situation is better today, but the fledgling industry still faces major challenges, primarily funding.
"With the war against ISIS, the Kurdish government couldn't support cinema and it became a big problem for filmmakers," said Babaker Dreyi, Minister of Culture and Arts in Sulaimani.
"We could have made over 100 films on this topic. ISIS was a good opportunity for us to make films, but again we couldn't do this because of the budget," he said, adding that foundations should be created to support the industry.
Without funding from inside the country, many of the Kurdish films being produced come from abroad. The result is that the Kurdish point of view is not told.
"I saw a film yesterday with many great actors from Duhok, but it was made from Germany,” said Rojbeyani. “I appreciate that, it's great. But the Kurds cannot make films so we have to have other people come make our films and show their perspective.”
Once films are made, there is not the expertise or networks to get the movies to a wide audience.
"We get a pat on the back at festivals, but we're not making money because we are not marketing our films," said Rojbeyani.
"We need to bring Kurdish filmmakers from all over the world here, have these panel discussions and we make guidelines and talk to the government and create that foundation."
DIFF runs through Saturday. Rudaw is a media partner.